Ptolemaic World Map - Sebastian Münster, 1544. (World Map In Color)
This map gives you a very old idea of the world, the way people thought about it before the great sea voyages changed everything. The land sits in a curved, half-dome shape and is surrounded by clouds and small wind heads, all printed on warm parchment style paper. It has a strong old-world feel and looks good in a study or library next to dark wood, books and brass details.
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 a Ptolemaic world map by Sebastian Münster, first printed in Basel in the early 1600s and dated 1544. in this form. Münster followed the ancient geographer Ptolemy, who drew only the “ecumene,” the part of the world thought to be inhabited. On the map you can see Europe, North Africa and Asia stretching out to India, while the rest of the globe is left off the page.
The map is filled with heads that blow the winds, each one named, which was a common way to show directions in Ptolemaic style maps. The Indian Ocean is almost closed, and a large island called Taprobana sits off the coast, showing how older Greek and Roman ideas were still being reused in Münster’s time. If you compare this map with your later world maps, like Ortelius’s Typus Orbis Terrarum or John Speed’s A New and Accurat Map of the World, you can see how mapmakers slowly opened up the oceans and turned this old half-dome world into a full globe.
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.
Ptolemaic World Map (Sebastian Münster, 1544.) - 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.
