Untitled Ptolemaic World Map - Gregor Reisch, 1503. (World Map Wall Art)
This print shows how people pictured the world right at the start of the Age of Discovery. Europe, Asia and North Africa are drawn in a curved, half oval shape, surrounded by strong black lines on warm parchment style paper. It feels like a page taken from a very early textbook and sits well in a study or library, especially next to old books, dark wood and brass details.
About this map printThis map comes from Gregor Reisch’s book Margarita Philosophica, an early printed encyclopedia for students that first appeared in Basel around 1503. and stayed popular for much of the 16th century. Reisch followed the ancient geographer Ptolemy, so the map only shows the part of the world that was considered “known” at that time. You see Europe, Asia and the northern part of Africa, and the Indian Ocean is drawn as a sea completely enclosed by land.
Across the narrow land bridge between Africa and Asia, a Latin note explains that this is actually sea and that there are islands here that Ptolemy never knew about. Many map historians see this as one of the first printed hints that the old view of the world was changing after new voyages and discoveries. Around the border, twelve wind heads blow in from all sides, each one with a different face. One of them wears early spectacles, which is often pointed out as one of the first printed images of eyeglasses on a world map.
This map belongs to the same Ptolemaic world map tradition as your later maps by Sebastian Münster, but here the woodcut lines are rougher and the world is tighter and more closed. When you place it next to Münster’s Ptolemaic World Map or his regional map Tabvla Evropae V, you can clearly see how the old textbook style slowly turns into the more open Renaissance mapping you get with Ortelius and Speed.
Craft & finishThis antique world map print is made on hand-processed paper, highlighted with subtle gold and sealed with beeswax for an authentic parchment feel. Please note that colors can look slightly different from screen to screen.
Find more prints like this in our Antique Maps collection.
Untitled Ptolemaic World Map (Gregor Reisch, 1503.) - Antique World Map
In case your print creases during the travel, as it usually does travel for some time, you can safely warm it up with a hair-dryer, and the wax will melt back right into it. You can also use a lighter, which is a much faster method, but be careful to keep the flame either above the paper or parallel to it (which means holding the paper vertically) so it doesn't smudge or even catch fire. The chance of the print actually creasing is very small, as they are rolled in bubble-wrap and shipped in a cardboard box. Also, be sure to keep the print out of the direct sunlight, as it can melt or fade.
Visit the link below to see more about how our replicas are made, how to display them, and repair the damage: https://www.artifex-replicas.com/post/about-our-parchment-replicas
