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This 17th century map by the French cartographer Nicolas Sanson shows Southeast Asia in the context of the rest of the Asian continent, and even includes parts of Africa and Europe. The decorative cartouche features winged cherubim.

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.

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.

This map by Athanasius Kircher shows the ‘hydrophylacium’ of Asia, a mythical subterranean ocean that Kircher thought fed rivers and caused tides. Illustrations of Neptune, the god of the sea, and cherubs playing in water continue the aquatic theme.

The cartouche on this mid-17th century map of Asia by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit (c. 1629–1706) is decorated with drawings of Asian men dressed in traditional costume and carrying bows.

The cartouche on this mid-17th century map of Asia by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit (c. 1629–1706) is decorated with drawings of Asian men dressed in traditional costume and carrying bows.

The cartouche on this mid-17th century map of Asia by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit (c. 1629–1706) is decorated with drawings of Asian men dressed in traditional costume and carrying bows.

The cartouche on this mid-17th century map of Asia by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit (c. 1629–1706) is decorated with drawings of Asian men dressed in traditional costume and carrying bows.

The cartouche on this mid-17th century map of Asia by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit (c. 1629–1706) is decorated with drawings of Asian men dressed in traditional costume and carrying bows.

This mid-17th century Italian map is from Sir Robert Dudley's atlas ‘Dell'arcano del Mare’, the first maritime atlas to show the whole world, and the first to use the Mercator projection.

This mid-17th century map of Asia is illustrated with drawings of Asian people wearing traditional clothing, including a man and woman from Java in Southeast Asia. There are also drawings and plans of important Asian cities.

This mid-17th century map of the Indian Ocean has a colourful cartouche illustrated with paintings of Asian merchants and warriors with bows and arrows. The scale is decorated with paintings of cherubs.