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The arrows on this map show the direction of the seasonal monsoons of Southeast Asia during the late 18th century. Each arrow has a label in French, indicating the month. The hatched sea areas are where the winds always blow in the same direction.

The cartouche on this early 18th century navigation map features the title in Latin and Dutch, as well as a wealth of detailed drawings illustrating the region’s trade: Asian merchants, their goods and animals, and two female European customers.

An early 18th century navigation map, with a rhumbline network and a scale in English, French, Spanish and Dutch measurements. The cartouche includes a drawing of Asian people as primitive natives, as they were often seen in the West at the time.

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.

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 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.

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.

German text on the reverse of this map describes the populations, crops, trade etc. of Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines, and Banda Islands. There are drawings of sailing ships, and the map is dedicated to the Dutch merchant Christophoro Thisio.

This map shows the route of the first Dutch expedition to Southeast Asia in 1595-7. Led by Cornelis de Houtman, it was an attempt to enter the spice trade. The route crosses east over the Indian Ocean, circles the island of Java, and returns west.

Unusually, north is located to the left of this map of East Asia, rather than the top. The text notes that shallows and reefs are marked, and that the map is based on the explorations of Portuguese ships. Illustrations include sea monsters and ships.