THE BOXER CODEX

The Boxer Codex

 The Boxer Codex is a manuscript written c. 1595 which contains

illustrations of Ethnic groups in the Philippines at the time of their
initial contact with the Spaniards. Aside from a description of, and
historical allusions to the Philippines and various other Far Eastern
countries, it also contains seventy-five colored drawings of the
inhabitants of these regions and their distinctive costumes. At least
fifteen illustrations deal with the natives of the Philippine Archipelago.
 It is believed that the original owner of the manuscript was Luis Pérez
das Mariñas, son of Governor General Gómez Pérez das Mariñas, who
was killed in 1593 by Sangleys(Chinese living in the Philippines). Luis
succeeded his father in office as Governor General of the Philippines.
Since Spanish colonial governors were required to supply written
reports on the territories they governed, it is likely that the manuscript
was written under the orders of the governor.
The Boxer Codex

 The manuscript's earliest known owner was Lord Ilchester.

The codex was among what remained in his collection when
his estate, Holland House in London, suffered a direct hit
during an air raid in 1942. The manuscript was auctioned in
1947 and came into the possession of Prof. Charles Ralph
Boxer, an authority on the Far East. It is now owned by the
Lilly Library at Indiana University.
 The Boxer Codex depicts the Tagalogs, Visayans, Zambals,
Cagayanes or possibly Ibanags and Negritos of the
Philippines in vivid colors. The technique of the paintings
suggests that the artist may have been Chinese, as does the
use of Chinese paper, ink and paints.
The TEXT

 Is hand written in Spanish

courtier calligraphy on rice
paper with Chinese ink.
 Graphs or letter styles are
unstable, presenting
variations.
 Some Chinese graphs are
written on golden ink.
The Spanish in the Pacific in the 1500’s

 Hernan Magellan arrived to the

Philippines on April 1521 and
he died on April 27th, hacked by
the natives of Mindanao.
 The colonization started on
1575, the Boxer Codex dates
from around 1590. When the
first Governor: Perez Das
Marinas was assassinated
Sections
 The text is a personal diary or travel journal that deals with descriptions of the inhabitants
of several archipelagos in the Pacific, such as the Marianna Islands, Guam, and the
Philippine Islands.
 The writer explains costumes, hunting and war practices, social organization, religious
practices, food, fauna, flora, rituals and political relationships among different populations.
 There are 75 illustrations in Chinese ink.
 The area came to be known as the Eastern Indies in the Spanish Empire.
 The Spanish interactions with the Asian “superpowers” of the time, such as Japan, were
an important part of the journal
 The area came to be known as the Eastern Indies in the Spanish Empire.
 The Spanish interactions with the Asian “superpowers” of the time, such as Japan, were
an important part of the journal
PROBLEMS IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSCRIPTION
OF MANUSCRIPTS

•Understanding the characters

•The Spanish language of the time
•Abbreviations used by the author for his/her personal use
•Use of lexicon unknown today
•Use of lexicon that refers to animals, plants, the art of sailing, the art
of war etc. that were not common knowledge even then
•Abundance of references to events not registered in the official
history of the Spanish colonization.