Asia (General)

Antique Maps of Asia

Antique maps of Asia reflect centuries of exploration, trade and cultural exchange across one of the world’s most diverse and historically significant continents. From early European attempts to synthesise classical knowledge with traveller accounts, to later scientific surveys produced during the colonial and imperial eras, these maps chart the gradual expansion of geographic understanding.

Important cartographers such as Abraham Ortelius, Gerard Mercator, Willem Blaeu and Jodocus Hondius played a key role in shaping early European views of Asia, often drawing on reports from merchants, missionaries and explorers. Later mapmakers including Guillaume Delisle, Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville, Aaron Arrowsmith and British Admiralty surveyors brought increased accuracy as trade, diplomacy and colonial administration expanded.

Asian maps frequently document major trade routes, including those associated with the Silk Road, maritime commerce through the Indian Ocean, and European trading companies such as the Dutch VOC and the British East India Company. Original antique maps of Asia are valued for their historical insight, decorative engraving and importance in understanding global history.