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A late 18th century map of Asia, with notes on the principal states, empires and kingdoms of Asia written in French on the right-hand side.

Some regions on this map of Southeast have a descriptive label: Sumatra is described as having mines of gold, silver, iron, and sulphur; and elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses, dragons and crocodiles. Gilolo has rice, sago and turtles. Ambon has nutmeg.

Some regions on this map of Southeast have a descriptive label: Sumatra is described as having mines of gold, silver, iron, and sulphur; and elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses, dragons and crocodiles. Gilolo has rice, sago and turtles. Ambon has nutmeg.

This 18th century map of Southeast Asia by the French cartographer Gilles Robert de Vaugondy features the national borders of the Philippines in green, and of modern Indonesia in yellow. The Malay Peninsula and modern Cambodia and Vietnam are in red.

This 18th century map of Southeast Asia by the French cartographer Gilles Robert de Vaugondy features the national borders of the Philippines in green, and of modern Indonesia in yellow. The Malay Peninsula and modern Cambodia and Vietnam are in red.

This 18th century map of Southeast Asia by the French cartographer Gilles Robert de Vaugondy features the national borders of the Philippines in green, and of modern Indonesia in yellow. The Malay Peninsula and modern Cambodia and Vietnam are in red.

This map showcases the colonial territories of Southeast Asia in the 18th century, with text detailing trading information and the products of each region. There are five inset maps featuring plans of specific trading ports.

A map of a small island chain off the west coast of the island of Gilola (modern Halmahera in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia). The military forts on the islands were used by the European colonial powers during conflicts over the area’s spice trade.

Map of the ‘Spice Islands’ of maritime Southeast Asia, including the Maluku Islands. It is decorated with a drawing of an Asian man holding a large bird and a spear, and surrounded by baskets and boxes of goods of the spice trade.

This map of India and Southeast Asia—or ‘Indiae Orientalis [East Indies]’ as it was called at the time—was published in a book documenting the travels of the German scholar and geographer Adam Olearius (1599–1671).

Map of a small island chain off the west coast of Gilolo (modern Halmahera in the Maluku Islands, Indonesia). Italian text describes the larger islands (Ternate and Tidore) and the Philippines. From Vicenzo Coronelli's ‘Corso Geografico Universale’.

Dotted lines and colours divide maritime Southeast Asia into three regions on this map: the Philippine archipelago, Maluku Islands and Sunda Islands. The cartouche features cherub mermaids carrying a banner and shield.