The map is finished. The candle is still burning.

This fantasy map wall art shows an invented world painted on aged parchment, set in a still life on a cartographer’s desk. It’s made for anyone who loves a well-drawn map, and it makes a thoughtful gift for a friend who writes fantasy.

The design: a world map on the cartographer’s desk

The map is a hand-painted-looking fantasy world. Teal and deep blue seas with a watercolor wash surround one large landmass that runs diagonally across the sheet, ridged with raised-looking brown mountains, set with small blue lakes and marked by two regions painted red. Chains of small islands scatter across the water, a few small ships are drawn offshore, and two bronze compass roses sit in the open sea. A thin ruled border of alternating light and dark segments frames it all, with a wide blank margin of parchment beyond. It shows no real-world geography, and the tiny labels on the land and the lines of script in the lower-left margin are decorative, not readable names.

The parchment itself is aged and stained, cream to tan, with ragged, browned edges and a notch torn from the left side. It lies on dark, weathered wooden planks under a window, where warm daylight falls across the map in bright patches. Around it sit a stack of three worn hardback books, a cream pillar candle burning beside a small metal cup on a round tray, and a brass-colored pen with an ornate barrel laid across the upper right of the sheet, its back end resting on the rim of a round ink pot full of blue ink.

That is the last save in the name: the world charted right to its border, the pen set down beside the ink, and the desk left ready for whoever sits down next. A quiet print for a quietly nostalgic wall.

Thick matte paper, a size for every wall

• 189 g/m² Enhanced Matte Paper, 10.3 mil thick, with paper sourced from Japan
• 94% opacity, so nothing on the wall behind shows through the print
• 104% ISO brightness gives the blue seas and parchment tones a clean, bright base
• Matte surface that softens reflections from lamps and windows
• 16 sizes in total, A1 and A2 included, from 5″×7″ (12.7 × 17.8 cm) up to 24″×36″ (61.0 × 91.4 cm); five of them are square
• Sold unframed, ready for a frame of your choice

Who it's for

Fantasy readers, tabletop RPG players and game masters, worldbuilders, writers and map lovers will find a place for it in a dark academia study, a home library, a writing corner or a reading nook stacked with fantasy novels. It suits a birthday, a housewarming, a tabletop RPG night or a gift for the fantasy reader in your life.

Quick answers

Are the torn, browned edges print damage?

No. The ragged parchment edges, the stains and the desk around them are all part of the printed artwork. The poster itself is a regular rectangle of matte paper.

Does every size show the whole scene?

Every size shows the same map scene with the candle, books and pen. The squares give the widest view, including the whole left compass rose and ink pot. Portrait sizes trim the left and right sides, most on narrow shapes such as 24″×36″ (61.0 × 91.4 cm).

Which size suits my wall?

An 8″×10″ (20.3 × 25.4 cm) sits easily on a desk or shelf, a 16″×20″ (40.6 × 50.8 cm) fills the space above a bookcase or sideboard, and an 18″×24″ (45.7 × 61.0 cm) or A1 (23.3″×33.1″, 59.2 × 84.1 cm) anchors a feature wall.

What size frame do I need?

Match the frame to the print size you order: a 12″×16″ (30.5 × 40.6 cm) print goes in a 12″×16″ frame. For a border around the map, choose a larger frame with a mat cut to the print size.

Will it arrive in time for a gift?

Each print is made to order rather than pulled from stock, so allow a few extra days before a fixed date. The usual delivery window is listed under Shipping and returns.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping. US delivery usually 5–12 business days. Easy 30-day returns.

Size guide