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This late 19th century large-scale (1:30,000) map show just a section of the Siak River, in the Riau province of Sumatra. Bathymetry (water depth) is shown in figures to aid navigation, with various landmarks noted along the river’s banks.

This unusual map of Batavia in the late 18th century shows the port city as seen when approaching from the sea. The castle is depicted prominently as a three-dimensional drawing, with the rest of the city behind more flat like a plan.

Map of the Banda Islands—which was at this time the only source of nutmeg in the world—featuring mountains, plantations, settlements and a military fort. On the island of Goenong Api (Banda Api) a volcano erupts (‘api’ means ‘fire’ in Indonesian).

Amongst the mountains and jungles of mid-18th century Bali, this map shows three royal palaces, walled encampments, and seven Buddhist temples (or ‘stupa’) on the east coast. Inset illustrations depict a palace and a temple in detail.

On this beautifully illustrated and coloured map of Java, mountains, trees, fields of crops and settlements are shown pictorially. The coasts are marked with shoals, reefs, bathymetry (sea depth, in figures) and anchor points.

A map of Java with mountains, jungles, animals and crops. Bathymetry (sea depth) is marked, including on an inset map of Batavia harbour. Illustrations include Batavia Castle, and a lion—representing Belgium—receiving tribute and enslaving locals.

Although mainly a navigation map—with a rhumbline network and elevations of mountains—there are also many terrestrial details shown, such as settlements and mountains. The inset map of Hoeamohel details plantations and the cultivation of nut crops.

On this map of Bali (and parts of Java and Lombok), mountains, trees, fields and settlements are shown pictorially. The coasts are marked with shoals (dots), reefs (crosses), bathymetry (sea depth, in figures) and anchor points (anchor symbols).

Although this map’s title refers to the south-western islands of the Banda Islands, it actually focuses on the Lesser Sunda Islands, including Flores, Sumba and Timor. The islands feature mountains and jungle, with shoals and reefs around the coasts.

Published in the early 18th century by the Dutch publisher Pieter van der Aa (1659–1733), this map of Java and the Java Sea is decorated with a colourful painted scene of merchants and boats at a trading port.

Map of the ‘Spice Islands’ of maritime Southeast Asia, including the Maluku Islands. It is decorated with a drawing of an Asian man holding a large bird and a spear, and surrounded by baskets and boxes of goods of the spice trade.

Java is shown as two separate islands on this map, with the western island named Sunda. The southern coast is labelled as ‘unknown’. A colourful cartouche is decorated with a painting of indigenous Javanese people meeting and trading with Europeans.