Two Studies of Spanish Mestizas, Manila

Probably either by, or by a pupil of, one of the two main miniaturist artists active in Manila in the 1840s, Damian Domingo and Tristiniano Asumpcion. Both women are probably shown in church dress, one wearing the tapis (overskirt) covering a brightly coloured saya (long skirt) to satisfy the catholic dress code, and the typical transparent embroidered mantle of pañuelo, usually made from pinapple cloth, over an opaque striped blouse.