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A late 18th century maritime map of Southeast Asia, marked with expedition routes including the return of Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavour from Australia in 1770, and Captain Philip Carteret’s circumnavigation expedition in 1768.

This mid-18th century map of Asia features a drawing of religious imagery: Asian people are seen making offerings to two figures, including the Greek god Poseidon (or the Roman god Neptune), and kneeling as cherubs descend from the sky.

Map of the Indian Ocean dominated by a rhumbline network—a web of interconnected lines used to help plot routes—with a compass rose at the centre. At the top there are (incomplete) drawings of people with text in Dutch, French, English and Spanish.

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.

Map of Asia from the second volume of ‘Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca: or, A compleat collection of voyages and travels: consisting of above four hundred of the most authentick writers’ published by John Harris in 1705.

The illustration on this map highlights the wealth of the Asian trade routes, with merchants wearing colourful and elaborate robes presenting valuable treasures to a royal figure. A monkey, tortoise and camel emphasise the 'exoticism' of Asia.

The illustration on this map highlights the wealth of the Asian trade routes, with merchants wearing colourful and elaborate robes presenting valuable treasures to a royal figure. A monkey, tortoise and camel emphasise the 'exoticism' of Asia.

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).

This map focuses on maritime trade, with detailed coastal areas (and blank interiors), illustrations of sailing ships, a rhumbline network—a web of lines used to aid navigation—and an elaborate cartouche illustrated with traders and their wares.

A map of Asia by the London-based cartographer Herman Moll (1654?–1732) with colour-coded regional borders. In Southeast Asia, each major land mass or island has its own coloured border.

Map of Asia illustrated with four large allegorical drawings representing the Dutch East India Company, by the Dutch Baroque artist Romeyn de Hooghe. Includes scenes of Asian merchants, the capturing of crocodiles and elephants, and mythology.

This map of Southeast Asia features a rhumbline network, a web of lines used to aid navigation. Coastal areas are detailed while interiors are mainly blank, and there are illustrations of sailing ships, reinforcing the maritime focus of this map.