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A late 18th century map of Asia featuring rivers, mountains, reefs and shoals. Regions are colour-coded, with the borders of the kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia in green, and the islands of maritime Southeast Asia in yellow and red.

A late 18th century map of Asia featuring rivers, mountains, reefs and shoals. Regions are colour-coded, with the borders of the kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia in green, and the islands of maritime Southeast Asia in yellow and red.

Based on a map by Guillaume Delisle, this map of Southeast Asia shows mountains and settlements pictorially, with larger cities also coloured red. Regional borders are colour-coded, as are some internal borders on the Malay Peninsula.

On this map, ‘Lago di Chiamay’, one of number of mythical lakes once thought to exist in southern China, feeds five rivers—labelled ‘Menam’, ‘Pegu’ ‘Maraban’, ‘Cosmin’ and ‘Caor’—which flow south through mainland Southeast Asia.

Dotted lines on this late 17th century map demarcate regions and kingdoms (which also have a crown symbol). The cartouche is shaped like a giant shell supported by mermen, with cherubs holding up shells and pearls on top.

From Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi’s ‘Mercurio Geografico’, this 17th century map of Asia represents mountains, jungles and cities pictorially, with hand-coloured regional borders. The map’s cartouche is decorated with clothing and weaponry.

South is orientated towards the top of this map, with maritime Southeast Asia in the upper half and the mainland below. Top right is Java (‘Iava Magiore [Java Major]’); Borneo is labelled ‘Iava Menore [Java Minor]’. Ships and sea monsters are at sea.