Capiz windows and the Manila sun
How the shell windows of old Manila houses handled strong light, and why our lining is drawn from them.
A window made of shell
Capiz windows use thin, flat shells of the windowpane oyster, Placuna placenta, set into a wooden lattice. The shell is translucent, so light comes through soft and even. The name comes from Capiz, the province where the oyster is most common.
Light without glare
In the Philippines, churches and homes began using the shell for windowpanes in the 1700s. It was a durable stand-in for glass, which was scarce and expensive. In the 19th century, the big stone-and-wood houses called bahay na bato used capiz windows across whole walls. Their sliding panels could be shut against wind and weather and still let daylight in.
Source: Capiz shell window, Wikipedia
Why our lining is drawn from them
Stand by a capiz window at three in the afternoon and its lattice falls across the floor as a soft grid of shade. That grid is our Capiz check. From our second drop it lines the hidden hand covers and the neck shade, so the shade you pull out carries a little of the old houses with it.