Map of the Great Asian Hydrophylacium

A black-and-white copperplate engraving depicting a geographical map of Asia, dominated by a large, shaded central subterranean reservoir located in the mountainous interior. The coastlines are stylized and the map is punctuated by labels of nations, rivers, and islands. At the bottom left, an ornate cartouche contains the title, flanked by winged putti or infants, one of whom holds a compass or divider, representing the intersection of geography and natural philosophy.

This map is taken from Athanasius Kircher's 'Mundus Subterraneus' (1665), which proposed a theory of a subterranean water system (the 'hydrophylacium') that fed the world's rivers. It illustrates the transition from classical aquatic geography to early modern scientific speculation.