Timor

Antique Maps of Timor

Antique maps of Timor capture an island long significant to maritime routes through the East Indies. Early European cartography often shows Timor within broader maps of the Indonesian archipelago, highlighting coastal outlines, nearby islands and navigational passages important to regional trade.

Portuguese and Dutch influence shaped much early mapping context, while later charts and atlas maps improved coastal accuracy through surveying and hydrographic work. Timor frequently appears on maps connected to the spice trade and to the evolving European understanding of Southeast Asia’s island geography.

These maps are valued for their historical association with exploration and commerce, their place within East Indies cartography, and the visual character of engraved maps and charts from the 17th through 20th centuries.