or one of the other Europeans who visited China. At least 15 illustrations deal with the inhabitants of the Philippine Archipelago. History and provenance The Boxer Codex does not bear any direct statement of authorship or dates of production and there is no dedication that might indicate who was the patron of the work or for whom the work was intended. Its contents indicate that it was written in Manila in the early 1590s. The manuscript was likely compiled at the direction of Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, or his son, Luis Pérez Dasmariñas. The Boxer Codex depicts the Tagalogs, Visayans, Zambals, Cagayanes or possibly Ibanags, and Negritos of the Philippines in vivid color. The paintings' technique and the use of Chinese paper, ink, and paints suggests that the artist may have been Chinese. It is believed that the original owner of the manuscript was Luis Pérez Dasmariñas, son of Governor General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. Luis succeeded his father in office as governor-general. Since Spanish colonial governors kept extensive written reports of the territories they governed, it is likely that the manuscript was written on the governor's orders. The manuscript's earliest known modern owner was Lord Ilchester. The codex was among what remained in his collection when his estate, Holland House in London, was bombed on September 27, 1940, during the Blitz. It was auctioned in 1947 and came into the possession of Charles Ralph Boxer, an authority on the Far East, and whom it is named. It is now owned by the Lilly Library at Indiana University. Picture gallery of the illustrations in Boxer Codex Natives of the Philippines (All Captions Below Based on Source) Foreigners present in the Philippines (All Captions Below Based on Source) See also Códice Casanatense José Honorato Lozano Damián Domingo Juan Luna Fernando Amorsolo Fabián de la Rosa Tipos del Pais Notes References External links Record and manuscript of the Boxer Codex at Indiana University Primary sources for early Philippine history Primary sources on Philippine history in the 16th century History of the Philippines (900–1565) History of the Philippines (1565–1898) 1590s books Filipino nobility Lilly Library