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Map of some of the Maluku islands around the Banda Sea, colour-coded by their administrative region, and with an elevation showing heights of mountains. (From ‘Algemeene Atlas van Nederlandsche Indie [General Atlas of the Dutch East Indies]’.)

Five maps showing the distribution of animal species, including in Southeast Asia, covering primates, marsupials, pachyderms and Edentata. Lines show the geographical range of individual species, alongside illustrations of the animals featured.

Includes part of maritime Southeast Asia. New Guinea is labelled as ‘discovered in 1527’—a reference to the Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes—with additional labels describing the terrain (‘Very low land’, ‘Coast is not well known’, ‘An Opening’).

Includes part of maritime Southeast Asia. New Guinea is labelled as ‘discovered in 1527’—a reference to the Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes—with additional labels describing the terrain (‘Very low land’, ‘Coast is not well known’, ‘An Opening’).

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.

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.

A page from Abbé Prévost’s ‘Histoire Générale des Voyages’. The top map shows the Bay of Laphao on Timor, while the other drawings are side views (or ‘elevations’) of mountains on the region’s islands to use as landmarks when navigating.

The southern coasts of Sumbawa (‘Coinbava’) and Sumba (‘Sandet’), and most of the coast of New Guinea (‘Nouvelle Guinée’) are represented by a dotted line on this mid-18th century map, indicating that the exact coastlines were unknown at this time.

A simple mid-18th century map featuring Borneo, Java, Celebes (Sulawasi) and many other smaller islands as far as New Guinea to the east, and Timor to the south. The only details are the names of the islands and some larger settlements.

This colourful hand-drawn portolan (nautical) chart was designed to aid navigation. It features a rhumbline network (the web of interconnected lines), bathymetry (sea depth), shoals and reefs, anchor points and written notes.

From Robert Morden’s ‘Geography Rectified’, a description with maps of the known world in the late 17th century. The map shows the Moluccas, but the text describes the Philippines: Spanish colonial rule, trade, the city of Manila and port of Cavite.

This mid-17th century Italian map shows the eastern islands of maritime Southeast Asia. Text on the map refers to winds (‘Venti’), currents (‘Corrente’) and air temperature (‘L'Aria è Calda e Humida [The air is hot and humid]’).