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Windows of Truth: The Capiz Clue That Outsmarts Jesuit Cartography


🔥 THE SMOKING QUILL | June 8, 2025

🧭 The Shell Trade of “Lequios” — And Why It Was Never Ryukyu

Capiz Shells and the Windows of History

In a curious but revealing 19th-century reference found in Annales archéologiques (T.24, 1864), French scholars noted that the Japanese had historically used shells from the islands of Lequios as a substitute for glass in windows. The quotation reads:

“The Japanese, says M. Vosgien, use large shells instead of window glass, which they obtain from the islands of Lequios, where this material is widely traded.”

At first glance, this might seem like a simple remark on a historical trade pattern. But as we examine it more closely — and interrogate what materials were being traded, where they originated, and who could have supplied them — it becomes another key entry in the growing list of hard evidence that “Lequios” never referred to the Ryukyu Islands, but rather to the Philippines, and specifically to its northern and central trade networks.

Let’s explore why.
Read the Page
Naval War College review v.69:no.4(2016:fall)

🐚 1. What Were These “Shell Windows”?

Before modern glass became widely available in Asia, many societies employed translucent natural materials for windows — especially in temples, colonial structures, or elite homes. In the Philippines, the most iconic version of this is the capiz shell window.

Capiz shells, from the marine bivalve Placuna placenta, are uniquely thin, nearly transparent, yet sturdy. These shells are easily flattened and cut, making them perfect for creating panes. They give off a pearlescent glow when sunlight passes through — both practical and aesthetic.

Such windows became standard in Spanish-era Filipino homes, particularly in Luzon and the Visayas. Even today, capiz shell windows remain a cultural emblem of the Philippines.
Capiz Shell Windows

📍 2. Where Do Capiz Shells Come From?

Here's the crucial fact:

🧭 Capiz shells are endemic to the Philippines. They are not found in the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa), nor are they known to exist naturally anywhere in Japan. India has them very deep and one has to dive for them where in the Philippines, one can wade through shallow waters picking them up even.
"It is estimated that there are 5,000,000 of these window-shells used
each year in the City of Manila alone. A single lumber company or this
city in 1910 used 1,500,000". Large beds exist in numerous locations of the Philippines such as Pangasinan (Lequios), Manila Bay, Cavite, Paranaque, Bohol, Negros, Panay, and Iloilo. [Philippine Journal of Science Article]

The province of Capiz in Panay Island is the historical center of collection and trade. Even today, local industries in Capiz and nearby Aklan and Iloilo continue to produce capiz shell crafts and decorative products for international export.

Sources such as Bellezza Casa and marine biology journals confirm that these bivalves are native to Philippine waters, particularly the shallow, muddy bays and coastal areas.

Thus, if shells from Lequios were used in Japan for window construction, and the only shell species capable of this function is capiz, the source must have been the Philippines, not Okinawa.
Capiz Shells

🐚 3. Giant Clam Shells? Not Likely

Some have suggested that the “large shells” could refer to giant clam shells (Tridacna gigas), found in both the Philippines and Ryukyu. But this doesn’t hold up for several reasons:

  • Giant clams are thick, heavy, and opaque, not suited for crafting windowpanes.

  • Their primary trade uses were ceremonial or ornamental, not architectural.

  • No known historical records indicate their use in East Asian window-making.

The only shell type with historical and practical usage as window material in Asia is capiz, and its exclusive range is the Philippines.
Giant Clam Philippines

🌏 4. “Lequios” in Trade Geography

This single observation from Annales archéologiques, and the earlier Vosgien and Abbé Prévost references it cites, says more than perhaps intended. By noting that Japan acquired functional trade goods like window shells from “Lequios,” and knowing that such goods could only come from the Philippines, the conclusion becomes undeniable:

📍 Lequios = the Philippines.
❌ Lequios ≠ Ryukyu (Okinawa).

This conclusion is further supported by:

  • Pigafetta’s journals noting “Lequios” junks arriving from Luzon from northeast of Cebu.

  • Spanish and Portuguese records and maps [below] placing Lequios southeast of China, near Batanes and Luzon.

  • Cartographic evidence from Velarde, Navarrete, and others aligning Lequios with northern Philippines.

There is no recorded shell trade from Ryukyu to Japan using capiz or similar shells — because those shells simply don’t exist there.

📚 Conclusion: The Window to Truth

This modest quote about Japanese windows opens a clear window into the real identity of “Lequios.” Trade goods never lie — and in this case, shell materials expose the truth that many colonial and Jesuit cartographers tried to obscure.

Whether intentionally or accidentally, Vosgien, Prévost, and Le Vieil preserved a sliver of truth in the shell trade — a truth that affirms the Philippines, not Okinawa, as the real “Lequios.”

🪶 The Smoking Quill reveals again: the Lequios were not a mystery — they were Filipino.

🔍 Citations & References:



#Lequios, #capiz shell, #Philippine trade, #Jesuit cartography, #Ryukyu myth, #Pigafetta, #Spanish Philippines, #windows made of shell, #Batanes history, #Luzon trade, #Japanese architecture, #Annales archéologiques, #Okinawa, #Smoking Quill blog
ADDITION:

🗺️ A Jesuit Colonial Trail of Tears
The visual record of how truth was displaced, overwritten, and erased.

🎉 “The maps were never lost… only silenced. Now, the silenced speak.”

Did the Jesuits Change Maps and History? Indisputably, Yes!

✅ Direct Quotes (Primary Sources or Scholarly Translations)

These are verbatim citations from original texts or reputable scholarly works defining the Jesuits changed Maps specifically working through all the factions of the Catholic Church:

  1. Juan Alzina (1668): “It is not enough to describe what one sees; one must interpret it according to the divine plan, so that the world may understand the providence of God in these distant lands.” [✔️ This is a direct translation of a passage from Alzina's Historia de las Islas e Indios de las Islas Filipinas (1668), a Jesuit missionary report admitting the reinterpretation and manipulation of history. You can find this in Spanish editions or modern English translations.]
  1. Gaspar de San Agustín (1722): “The Jesuits, with their learning and favor at court, have taken it upon themselves to write the history of these islands. But they do not always tell the truth, preferring to glorify their own works above all others.” [✔️ Direct quote from Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas (1722). Available in Spanish as "…no siempre dicen la verdad…"]
  2. Jerry Brotton (2012): “The Society of Jesus… made use of maps not only as instruments of navigation but also as tools for evangelization and empire-building.” [✔️ Taken directly from A History of the World in Twelve Maps (p. 245), published by Penguin Books.]

📚 Paraphrased Academic Interpretations

These are not direct quotes , but accurate summaries of scholars' arguments based on their published work:

  1. W.E. Retana (1906): “The missionaries of the Dominican Order were the first to arrive in the Philippines after the Augustinians, but it was the Jesuits who later assumed a leading role…” 🔍 This is a paraphrase of Retana’s extensive writings in Diccionario Geográfico, Histórico y Biográfico de Filipinas . While not a verbatim quote, it accurately reflects his documented view of Jesuit dominance in later colonial mapping.
  2. John Leddy Phelan (1959): “The missionaries were not only spiritual guides but also agents of imperial policy…” 🔍 Paraphrased from The Hispanization of the Philippines , p. 102–105, where Phelan discusses how missionaries shaped colonial perception.
  3. Luis Álvarez (1976): “The Jesuits maintained strict control over the dissemination of knowledge…” 🔍 Paraphrased from La Compañía de Jesús en la Historia de Filipinas , which details how Jesuits filtered reports through Rome before publication.
  1. José Luis Caño Ortíz (2003): “There was constant friction between the Jesuits and the Dominicans over territory…” 🔍 From Las Órdenes Religiosas en Filipinas , summarized accurately to reflect inter-order tensions influencing geographic narratives.

📌 1. 1714 Vander Aa – "Lossonia 5ve"
    Labels the east Luzon isles as Lossonia and places "I. Parta" west of Batanes.A direct resurrection of Pinto’s Five Isles narrative.
1714 Vander Aa Map

📌 2. 1640 Jan Jansson Map
    Omits Batanes but names Taiwan as "Lequios"Places "I. de Prata" west of a cluster of 5 yellow islets, very close to the Babuyanes.
1640 Jansson Map

📍 3. 1700 Valk Map
    Labels “5. Insulae” above Luzon and includes Prata Isle, preserving the Lequios identification.
1700 Valk Map - Isle de Prata (Silver)

📌 4. 1774 Dutch Map
    Offers fine delineation of the five Batanes isles with Prata just west. Labels Luzon as Luconia.
1774 Bowen Map

📌 5. 1706 Thornton Map

  • Uses “Five Islands” and places Prata directly west of Luzon.

  • The R. Hecos or R. Ilecos stands out as the Lequios River from other maps.


1706 Thortnton Map

📌 6. 1700 Vander Aa Map – Pigafetta-Inspired

Clearly ties 5 Isles of Pinto, Prata, and the Philippines into one cohesive region.
1700 Vander Aa Map

📌 7.

1650 Antoine de Fer Map

  • Names Luzon as "Leuconia," echoing Lequios, and situates it above Mindanao just below the Tropic of Cancer where Luzon is.

1650 Antoine de Fer Map

📌 8.

1690 Coronelli Map

  • Offers a stunning depiction of Luzon as a bifurcated landmass, with terms like "Lucon creduta favolosa" or "Lucon believed to be fabulous" implying mythical fame—possibly a nod to Zipangu/Ophir myths.

  • Notice as well the bifurcated island in 2 sections– North and South just as we referenced previously.

1690 Coronelli Map

📌 9.

1645 Spilbergen Map

  • Names the northern part of Luzon as “I. Locos”, a variant of “Lequios”. West of Batanes, an isle labeled “Wateb” appears—possibly a distorted Prata or ghost island.

  • Wateb as a label also appears as "or Isla de Prata on other maps.
1645 Janssonius/Spilbergen Map

📌 10.

1644-58 Janssonius Map (Colorized)

  • Replaces Ilocos with “ILLECOS”, a near-exact spelling of Lequios.

  • Preserves I. de Prata and 5 yellow isles.
1644 Janssonius Map
1502 Cantino Map

Cantino World Map

1502 

[See above]

Lequios of Zambales at 17N. Affirmed within.

1512 Francisco Rodrigues' Sketches

Jorge Reinel/Rodriguez Chart 

1512

[Click Image for Blog Link]

"The Main Island of Lequios" is charted and noted geographically near Luzon, not near Okinawa.
1527 Diogo Ribeiro Map

Diogo Ribeiro Map

1527

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Locates Lequios near Luzon, reinforcing the Philippines as the center of early Southeast Asian trade routes.
1535 Penrose Chart

Anonymous Penrose Chart

1535

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Lequios plotted between 17°–20° North Latitude, matching Northern Philippines, not Okinawa.

1539 Santa Cruz SPanish Government Map

Santa Cruz Map

1539 

[See above]

SPANISH GOVERNMENT MAP! Luquios as Luzon, Philippines With Visayas and Mindanao Charted With It.

 
1544 Sebastian Cabot Map

Sebastian Cabot Map

1544

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Cabot's 'Canal of Lequios' flows into the West Philippine Sea, cementing Lequios’ geographic tie to the Philippines. 10-15N.
1554 Lopo Homem Map

Lopo Homem Planisphere

1554

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Colonial Propaganda Begins! Homem still places Lequios closer to the Philippines; later maps begin shifting it northward under colonial reinterpretations.
1561 Giacomo Gastaldi Map

Giacomo Gastaldi

1561

Lequios Canal continues to be recognized near Palawan, and labels North Luzon as "Cangu", the likely Zipangu of Marco Polo.
1561 Munster Map

Italian Urbano Monti Map

1587 

Canal route for major trade between Palawan and Borneo still referenced where Lequios Canal is on previous maps.

 
1589 Ortelius Maris Pacifici

Spanish Maris Pacifici: Abraham Ortelius

1589

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Ortelius’ 1589 map silently reversed Portuguese propaganda by restoring the Philippines’ true heritage.
1607 Mercator Map

Mercator Map

1607

[Click Image for Blog Link]

The famous Mercator labels Batanes just South of Taiwan as Lequio Major where Pinto was shipwrecked.

1613 Dutch Globe

Dutch Globe

1613

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Flemish and Dutch engraver and cartographer preserves Batanes as Pintos' location for Lequios while bending to Colonial pressure for Ryukyu.
1615 Jodocus Rossi Map

Hondius, Jodocus, and Giuseppe Di Rossi.

1615

Batanes maintained as Lequio and Ryukyu as Lequi Grand.

1627 Bertius Map

P. Bertius Map

1627

Lequios Minor and Pequeno are both place in the Batanes Islands in the Philippines, while moving Lequeo Grande to Ryukyu in error.

1630 Albernaz Map

Albernaz Map

1630

4 Maps include Lequios in one Atlas. All equate Batanes Islands, Philippines as Lequeo–3 of them as Grande (main) and 1 confuses it with Ryukyu. One can see the mindset waffling into Colonial propaganda.

1640 Bleau Map

Bleau Map

1640

The 5 Isles of Pinto's legend appear just to the West of Batanes defining it as Lequios. This same dynamic occurs on the:

1676 Speed Map

1700 Visscher Map
1587 Urbano Monte Map

French Map

1752 

Just west of the Bashee Isles (Batanes), the map boldly labels:

“Les 5 Isles” — The Five Islands

Relating the legend from Pinto's shipreck with Batanes as Lequios.

 
1794 Spanish-British Map

Spanish-British Map

1794

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Lequios River, Batanes as Pinto's Shipwreck, Five Isles, and the Final Blow to Ryukyu Theory.
1799 Italian Map Lequios River, Pinto Account

Italian Map

1799

[Click Image for Blog Link]

Pinto's legend of The 5 Isles appears West of Batanes, as Lequios.
1589 Maris Pacifici: Abraham Ortelius

🪶 “History didn’t just speak — it sang… and the world finally listened.”
“The final page wasn’t colonial ink — it was joy, justice, and memory.”

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