Clover Leaf World Map - Heinrich Bünting, 1581. (World Map Wall Art)
This is a small 16th century world map drawn in the shape of a clover leaf. Europe, Asia and Africa are colored in soft reds, greens and yellows and sit on a dark patterned sea with tiny ships and sea creatures.
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 printThis print is based on Heinrich Bünting’s famous clover leaf world map, often titled Die ganze Welt in einem Kleberblat, first published in his book Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae in 1581. Europe, Asia and Africa are turned into three leaves of a clover, each covered with country names and a few small city views. Around the main shape you see extra land masses for England, Scandinavia and the “New World”, placed at the edges of the design to show that parts of the world were still only partly known.
The clover form echoes the arms of Bünting’s home city of Hanover and follows the idea of older medieval world maps, where the world is shown more as a symbol than a measured picture. The map was not meant to give exact geography. It was meant to show the “whole world” in one clear image, the same spirit you see in Bünting’s other figurative maps, where Asia becomes a winged horse and Europe is drawn as a crowned woman.
If you are curious about the history behind this piece, we put together a short background on this map for you to read.
Craft & finish
Every 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.
Clover Leaf World Map (Heinrich Bünting, 1581.) - Antique World Map
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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.
