Asia Secunda in Forma Pegasi - Heinrich Bünting, 1581. (Map In Color)
This map turns the whole continent of Asia into a flying horse. Warm parchment tones, soft blue sea and gold on the wings make a strange but beautiful piece of wall art that works well next to books, wood and brass in a study or reading corner.
To learn more about the history of these pieces and how we craft them in our family workshop, feel free to read our full guide to antique map prints.
About this map print
This print is based on Asia Secunda Pars Terrae in Forma Pegasi, one of the most famous “curiosity” maps from Heinrich Bünting’s book Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae, first published in 1581. In this design Asia is drawn as the winged horse Pegasus: the head is Asia Minor with the mouth at Istanbul, the wings spread across Central Asia and Siberia, the forelegs form Arabia, and the hind legs stand in India and the Malay Peninsula. The map was never meant to be a precise view of real geography. It mixes biblical travel, Greek myth and moral messages, using Pegasus as a symbol of spiritual victory in the same spirit as Bünting’s clover leaf world map and his map of Europe as a queen similar to this one.
If you are curious about the history behind this piece, we put together a short background on this map for you to read.
Craft & finishEvery replica we make is individually hand-processed in our family workshop. We finish the paper with a traditional beeswax seal to give it a warm, heavy texture. Our team also adds subtle gold paint details by hand to help the artwork truly shine. To complete the look, we hand-burn the edges to give each piece the feel of a true historical artifact.
While our smaller sizes are perfect for gallery walls, our 43x61 cm Large replica is a museum-scale centerpiece. Because of the size, the hand-processing and beeswax application take much longer. This extra time and care ensures that every centimeter of the historic illustration is preserved with a rich, authentic glow.
Find more prints like this in our Antique Maps collection.
Asia Secunda in Forma Pegasi (Heinrich Bünting, 1581.) - Antique Asia Map
At Artifex Historical Replicas, we bridge the gap between museum archives and your home. Each piece is a handcrafted historical art print recreated from authentic primary sources, including antique city views and botanical illustrations.
Hand-Processed Paper: We use specialized paper with burned edges and a beeswax finish to replicate the weight and feel of genuine old parchment.
Gilded Details: Our workshop adds subtle real gold accents, bringing the same glow to your walls found in 16th-century illuminated manuscripts.
Custom Sizes & Worldwide Shipping: We offer bespoke sizing for custom frames and ship our historical replicas globally from our family workshop.
Explore our full guide on how we create, display, and restore parchment-style replicas.
