History of the Philippines (1521–1898) History of the Philippines (1521–1898) The history of the Philippines from 1521 to 1898, also known as the Spanish colonial period, a period that spans during the Captaincy General of the Philippines located in the collection of Islands in Southeast Asia that was colonized by Spain known as 'Las Islas Filipinas', under New Spain until Mexican independence which gave Madrid direct control over the area. It was also known as Spanish East Indies to the colonialist. It started with the arrival in 1521 of European explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailing for Spain, which heralded the period when the Philippines was a
Mexican lacquerware produced a wider variety of designs, often based on the exuberant vegetation of the region. Lacquerware went through fashions. For example, in the mid 17th century, wood oval trays with scenes from Don Quixote were very popular. However, by the end of the colonial period, the upper class clientele for lacquered furniture were able to buy this and many decorative items from Europe, limiting Mexican lacquer work to small boxes and other trinkets. In 1810, the Mexican War of Independence broke out and for the next eleven years, the lacquer industry waned, along with most other handcraft production, until it