Rare Old Star Map of Crater by Johann Bayer, 1603 - Celestial Constellation Chart
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FREE delivery in 2 to 3 days
Free delivery in 2 to 3 days
Your art print should be delivered in 2 to 3 working days with free delivery, worldwide.
We make fine art prints by hand locally in 23 countries, including the UK
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. If you're buying a gift for someone in another country, we will make the art print locally to them.You will never pay import tax or customs duty.
Free delivery will gradually get slower towards Christmas, as postal services start to struggle with larger volumes of post. I recommend ordering sooner rather than later to make sure you get everything with time to spare. Check my Christmas delivery guide for more info.
Express delivery is available at checkout which can reduce the delivery time to 1-2 days.
Please note that personalised fine art prints, and larger framed prints, can take longer to produce and deliver.
If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, contact me and we can discuss your options.
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Certified sustainable +
we plant trees🌳
Sustainability & Tree Planting
Here at The Unique Maps Co., we have an unusually high affinity for paper. After all, without paper, there can be no fine art prints!
That's why all of our paper, frames and packaging are from FSC certified sources.
But we don't stop there. We've partnered with Treeapp to plant trees around the world.
If you spend £50 or more, we'll plant a tree in your name.
- Framing & personalisation available
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60 day money back guarantee
60 days to return and refund
Products can be returned within 60 days for a full refund, or exchange for another product.
Our usual returns window is 30 days, but to give you extra peace of mind during the Christmas period, we have an extended returns period of 60 days.
For personalised and customised items, we may offer you a non-expiring gift card, as we cannot resell personalised orders.
If you have any questions, get in touch. For more information, see our full returns & exchanges policy.
My restored art prints are rare, museum-grade artworks sourced from auction houses, museums and private collections across the globe.
Custom size and finish
If you are looking for artwork at a different size, or a finish that is not available here, please request it in the "order note" when you check out.
My restored artworks look great as rugs, tea towels, scarves, and many other textiles.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
You can also contact us before you order, if you prefer!
Discover the celestial beauty of the Old Star Map of Crater, originally documented by Johann Bayer in 1603. This handcoloured old star chart is a fine example of Bayer's meticulous representation of the Constellation Crater, one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. Renowned for its mythological connections to Apollo's chalice, this artwork is a perfect blend of historical significance and artistic excellence, making it a stunning addition to any decor.
The Unique Maps Co. presents this artwork as an exceptionally high-quality fine art print, restored and prepared with the utmost care. Each print is handcrafted and printed on gorgeous archival matte paper, ensuring longevity and a timeless appeal. Plus, you can personalize and customize the print, giving you the opportunity to make this art piece truly unique and tailored to your taste.
Johann Bayer was a notable German astronomer whose work significantly impacted celestial cartography. His Uranometria, published in 1603, was groundbreaking, featuring 49 constellation maps. The Crater map was among these, demonstrating Bayer's innovative system of denoting star brightness with Greek and Roman letters—a practice still in use today. His maps not only incorporated the stars cataloged by Ptolemy but also included observations by astronomers Tycho Brahe and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser, reflecting the scientific advancements of his time.
The rich detail and artistic finesse in Bayer's constellation maps are widely acclaimed. The Crater map, in particular, offers intriguing insights with its detailed representation and vibrant handcolouring. Each star’s brightness is meticulously indexed, offering both aesthetic pleasure and historical insight into 17th-century astronomy. Bayer's adoption of figures based on the work of Jacobo de Gheyn, combined with mythological elements, allows this artwork to transcend mere scientific documentation to become a masterpiece of scientific art.
This exquisite print of the Old Star Map of Crater would make a wonderful gift for any occasion—whether it be Christmas, Father's Day, Mother's Day, a housewarming, or a colleague’s farewell. Its enchanting antiquity and historical significance are sure to capture the admiration of anyone with a discerning eye for art or a passion for the celestial sphere.
If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.
You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.
You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.
The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.
I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.
This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.
My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.
I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.
Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.
Most maps are also available as a framed canvas. The map is printed on matte (not shiny) canvas, stretched over a box frame, and then 'floated' within a simple wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing in front of your map.
All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.
Alternatively, I can also supply old maps on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.
If you want to frame your map yourself, please read my map size guide first.
For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and custom made maps take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes a day or two.
Please note that for larger framed orders (over 40in/100cm), and some other framed sizes, the delivery time will be closer to 7-10 days.
If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.
I print and frame maps in 22 countries around the world. This means your map will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and reduces the chance of your map being damaged during delivery. There won't be any extra taxes or duties to pay, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.
All of my maps are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.
I try to send out all maps within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks or mugs) can take longer to make.
If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).
We can sometimes do next-day delivery if you order before 10am. But usually it's best to contact me first before you order.
My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.
I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.
My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.
I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.
I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.
Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.
Map personalisation
If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.
The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.
To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.
Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.
Map ageing
I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.
Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.
All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.
If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!
If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.
If you are not happy with your unique map for any reason, contact me for a no-quibble refund.
I am very confident you will like your old map. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and have over 4,000 real 5-star reviews.
I use a unique process to restore my maps that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore the maps. As a result, I guarantee my maps are a cut above the rest - that's why I can offer a no-quibble refund.
Almost all of my maps look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.
