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The cartouche on this early 19th century map of Asia features a drawing of an Asian merchant smoking a long pipe while standing with his goods. Behind are a camel and an elephant surrounded by greenery and palm trees.

This map of Asia, from an atlas by the German cartographer Karl von Spruner, is colour-coded to show territorial regions in Asia towards the middle of the fifth century. Borneo is labelled ‘Kalemantan’, and Sulawesi is labelled ‘Mangkassar’.

This map of Asia, from an atlas by the German cartographer Karl von Spruner, is colour-coded to show territorial regions in Asia from the 6th to the 9th centuries. Thailand is labelled 'Siang-koue' and Vietnam is 'Tschn-tschin'.

This map of Asia, from an atlas by the German cartographer Karl von Spruner, is colour-coded to show territorial regions in Asia in the 9th and 10th centuries. Thailand is labelled ‘Siang-koue', and Malaya is ‘Ujung Tanah Zyrbad’.

This map of Asia, from an atlas by the German cartographer Karl von Spruner, is colour-coded to show territorial regions in Asia in the 11th and 12th centuries. Borneo is labelled ‘Kalemantan’, and Malaya is labelled ‘Tanah Malayu (Malai)’.

This map of Asia, from an atlas by the German cartographer Karl von Spruner, is colour-coded to show the colonial possessions of the European powers—Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, France, Britain and Denmark—at the end of the 17th century.

This map of Asia, from an atlas by the German cartographer Karl von Spruner, is colour-coded to show the possessions of the Indian Maratha Empire, and of the European colonial powers at the end of the 18th century.

In the 18th century, European maps tended to use their own country’s meridian, so on this French map of Asia longitude is measured from the Paris Meridian. Southeast Asia is divided into regions such as the Birman Empire, Yunshan and Tonquin.

Map focusing on the passages between the islands of maritime Southeast Asia. Many 18th century routes are labelled with the ship/captain’s name and date, and there are notes on some shoals and reefs recording names, details and incidents/shipwrecks.

In the 18th century, European maps tended to use their own country’s meridian, so on this French map of Asia longitude is measured from the Paris Meridian. Southeast Asia is divided into regions such as the Birman Empire, Yunshan and Tonquin.

Map focusing on the passages between the islands of maritime Southeast Asia. Many 18th century routes are labelled with the ship/captain’s name and date, and there are notes on some shoals and reefs recording names, details and incidents/shipwrecks.

Longitude is indicated in two different ways on this mid-18th century map: along the top border, it is shown in degrees (number of degrees east of London); more unusually, along the bottom border, it is shown in time (number of hours east of London).