shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileEgypt

deep in the Gilf Kebir, in the far southwest of the Egyptian desert

Cave of Swimmers

— — a green Sahara, painted on the wall.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A small rock shelter high in the Gilf Kebir plateau, near the Libyan and Sudanese borders. On its sandstone walls a Neolithic hand painted human figures with arms and legs folded as if swimming — small ochre bodies suspended above the dust, made roughly eight to ten thousand years ago, when the Sahara was still grassland and the lakes had not yet gone. The Hungarian explorer László Almásy found the cave in October 1933. The desert that holds it is now hyperarid and almost empty. from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

Cave of Swimmers, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Cave of Swimmers

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

The Cave of Swimmers is a rock shelter on the southwest edge of the Gilf Kebir plateau, in the far corner of Egypt's New Valley Governorate, close to the Libyan and Sudanese borders. It sits inside Gilf Kebir National Park, declared in 2007 and at 48,500 square kilometres one of the largest protected areas in Africa. The Hungarian aviator and desert explorer László Almásy located the cave in October 1933 during a survey for the lost oasis of Zerzura. The site lies more than a thousand kilometres south of Cairo.

— informed by Wikipedia — Cave of Swimmers, Wikipedia — Gilf Kebir

— the year

The paintings date to the Neolithic Subpluvial, roughly 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, when monsoon rains pushed north and the Sahara held lakes, grassland, and herds. The figures, painted in red ochre with arms and legs bent as if swimming, are read by most archaeologists as either swimmers or as a stylised representation of the dead. Almásy proposed the swimming reading; the cave entered wider public memory through Michael Ondaatje's 1992 novel The English Patient and Anthony Minghella's 1996 film. The site is fragile and reached only by guided expedition.

— informed by Bradshaw Foundation — Cave of Swimmers

— where

Egypt · New Valley Governorate, Egypt

— within

Gilf Kebir National Park

— position

23.5833° N · 25.8500° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

1 km S

Wadi Sura

rock-art valley

10 km E

Cave of Beasts

rock-art shelter

350 km W

Kufra

Libyan oasis

Cave of Swimmers

Wadi Sura

Cave of Beasts

Kufra

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Cave of Swimmers — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

On the southwest edge of the Gilf Kebir plateau in Egypt's New Valley Governorate, near the Libyan and Sudanese borders. It is more than a thousand kilometres south of Cairo.

The figures date to the Neolithic Subpluvial, roughly 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. They were made when the Sahara was still green with grassland and seasonal lakes.

The Hungarian explorer and aviator László Almásy located the cave in October 1933, during a survey aimed at finding the lost oasis of Zerzura. He recorded the swimming figures in his journals.

Yes. Michael Ondaatje's 1992 novel and the 1996 film both took the cave and Almásy as their starting points. The film helped bring international attention to the Gilf Kebir.

Only by permitted multi-day desert expedition with a licensed Egyptian operator. The site lies inside Gilf Kebir National Park, declared in 2007, and access is tightly controlled to protect the paintings.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The site is a touchstone for prehistory and for The English Patient readers and viewers. A Medium or Large carries the scale of the shelter better than a Keepsake does.

The palette is ochre, sandstone, and shadow. It sits well with Desert-modern, Earthen Minimalist, and Mediterranean rooms anchored by linen, plaster, or warm wood.

Yes. Collector libraries have moved toward one strong fine-art piece per wall rather than packed prints. The tile holds quiet authority over a reading chair or desk.

A single Large covers most sofas. For a longer wall a 4-tile Mural reads as one continuous piece. For a feature wall a 9-tile Mural fills a generous span.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour lives in the ceramic surface itself, so steam and splashes do not affect it.

A soft microfibre cloth with water handles it. No chemical cleaners are needed; nothing sits on the surface to wear off.

— if this one stayed with you