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An early 18th century map of the Indian Ocean, illustrated with a drawing of Asian merchants riding an elephant and using a camel to transport their goods. Other men use bows and arrows to hunt ostriches. Ships are also shown sailing on the ocean.

The cartouche on this map of Asia is decorated with a colourful painting illustrating the region’s commerce, with Asian merchants displaying an assortment of goods, including jewellery, porcelain vessels and figurines, textiles and exotic animals.

A detailed late 17th century map of Asia, showing ancient kingdoms and the place names of important settlements. The cartouche features a drawing of Asian traders selling their goods, while a camel, monkey and two birds look on.

The cartouche on this map of Asia is decorated with a colourful depiction of a European man negotiating with an Asian merchant to buy an assortment of Asian goods, including jewellery, porcelain vessels and figurines, and textiles.

The cartouche on this map of Asia is decorated with a colourful painting illustrating the region’s commerce, with Asian merchants displaying an assortment of goods, including jewellery, porcelain vessels and figurines, textiles and exotic animals.

This colourful 17th century map highlights the mountain ranges and rivers of Southeast Asia and India. The cartouche features an illustration of Asian men wearing brightly-coloured clothing and carrying bows and arrows.

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 map of Southeast Asia has a maritime focus, with shoals and reefs, and the coastal areas marked in great detail, while the interiors remain mostly blank. The Great Wall of China can be seen at the top of the 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.

French text on the reverse of this map describes the religion, languages, crops, trade etc. of Aracam and Pegu (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Cambaja (Cambodia). The map is dedicated to the Dutch merchant Christophoro Thisio.

A map of Asia decorated with colourful illustrations including two men in ‘eastern’ clothing, the Greek goddess Athena with a coat of arms and a knight in armour, and cherubs playing with cartography tools: a globe, compass, and pair of callipers.

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.