Portugese King Manuel riding sea monster
The Carta marina depicts King Manuel of Portugal riding a sea monster near the southern tip of Africa, symbolizing Portugal's control of the sea route between Africa and India.
Neptune riding sea monster in Jacopo de’ Barbari’s print of Venice
The King Manuel image was most likely inspired by an image of Neptune riding a sea monster in Italian printmaker Jacopo de’ Barbari’s print of Venice.
Noah's ark on mountains of Armenia
The map includes an image of Noah's Ark resting in the Mountains of Armenia, probably based on similar images in other nautical charts of the time.
Hindu widow burning herself on husband's funeral pyre
In India, the Carta marina depicts an image of "suttee," the Hindu practice of a widow burning herself to death on the funeral pyre of her husband.
Rhinoceros on Carta marina
Waldseemüller's map has an image of a rhinoceros thought by some to be copied from an Albrecht Dürer print. But Waldseemüller's rhino more closely resembles a print by Hans Burgkmair.
The Great Khan on the Carta marina
The Carta marina features a picture of the Great Khan in China. The image's origin is still open to interpretation.
