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The cartouche on this late 17th century map of Asia features an illustration of Asian traders negotiating a deal. In the background, their workers carry packages and tend to a camel.

The cartouche on this late 17th century map of Asia features an illustration of Asian traders negotiating a deal. In the background, their workers carry packages and tend to a camel.

Colourful map of the East Indies focusing on maritime navigation: there is a compass rose at the centre of a rhumbline network (a web of lines to help plot routes). Shoals, reefs and islands are also marked.

Colourful map of the East Indies focusing on maritime navigation: there is a compass rose at the centre of a rhumbline network (a web of lines to help plot routes). Shoals, reefs and islands are also marked.

A map by the influential London cartographer, Herman Moll (1654?—1732), showing Southeast Asia in the context of the wider Asian region. Interestingly, the Strait of Malacca is labelled as the ‘Str. of Sincapora’ (Straits of Singapore).

The cartouche on this early 18th century navigation map features the title in Latin and Dutch, as well as a wealth of detailed drawings illustrating the region’s trade: Asian merchants, their goods and animals, and two female European customers.

This map is from ‘Universus terrarum orbis scriptorum calamo delineatus’ by Alphonsus Lasor a Varea (pseudonym of Raffaello Savonarola (1680–1748), a monk who worked in the monastery library in Padua).

An early 18th century navigation map, with a rhumbline network and a scale in English, French, Spanish and Dutch measurements. The cartouche includes a drawing of Asian people as primitive natives, as they were often seen in the West at the time.

An early 18th century map of the Indian Ocean, illustrated with a drawing of Asian merchants riding an elephant and using a camel to transport their goods. Other men use bows and arrows to hunt ostriches. Ships are also shown sailing on the ocean.

This map of Asia is dedicated to Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, and features a drawing of his coat of arms. He had been in line to succeed to the English throne, but died at the age of 11 in 1700, the year before this map was produced.

This early 18th century map shows Southeast Asia alongside India and part of China, with the names of cities, towns, ports, rivers and mountains marked. A handwritten note at the top left comments on the map's accuracy.

Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula feature on this map of the Indian Ocean. Enganno Island, west of southern Sumatra, has a label that translates as ‘inhabited by very pernicious savages’. An inset map depicts the Madura Strait between Java and Madura.