Wender·Vista
Osireion
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileEgypt
behind the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, in Middle Egypt

Osireion

— — red granite holding the water table.

— 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
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— 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 sunken hall of red granite behind Seti I's mortuary temple at Abydos. Ten monolithic pillars stand on an island of stone, ringed by a channel of groundwater that has never gone dry. Roofless now, open to the desert sky. Built in the thirteenth century BCE as a cenotaph for Osiris, the form reaches back to the much older symbolism of the primeval mound rising from the waters of Nun. — from the studio

from the studio
Osireion
— bring it home

Osireion, 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 Osireion

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 Osireion lies directly behind the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, in the Sohag Governorate of Middle Egypt, about 90 kilometres downstream of Luxor on the west bank of the Nile. It was built as a cenotaph associated with the cult of Osiris by Seti I in the thirteenth century BCE and completed by his grandson Merenptah. The complex sits below the modern ground level on an island of stone surrounded by a water-filled channel fed by the local groundwater table. It was rediscovered in 1902 by Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray and excavated through the 1920s.

— the stone

The central hall holds ten massive red granite pillars, each carrying a single granite architrave above. Many of the blocks weigh in excess of 100 tonnes and were quarried at Aswan, more than 250 kilometres upstream. The masonry is megalithic and almost unornamented, in marked contrast to the carved reliefs in Seti's adjacent temple. The island of stone the pillars stand on is surrounded by a perimeter channel, and the structure is read as an architectural image of the primeval mound emerging from the waters of Nun in Egyptian cosmology.

— informed by Wikipedia — Osireion
— the visit

The Osireion sits inside the Abydos archaeological precinct and is included in the standard ticket for the Temple of Seti I, sold at the site gate. The temple complex is usually open daily from around 08:00 to 17:00. Most visitors arrive on day trips from Luxor — a road journey of about three hours each way — or from the riverside town of Sohag. Footing on the wet stonework around the perimeter channel is uneven, the surrounding ground is sand and rubble, and the heat from late spring through early autumn is severe.

— where
Egypt · Abydos, Sohag Governorate
— position
26.1844° N · 31.9189° 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.
at the lake
Temple of Seti I
mortuary temple
at the lake
Temple of Ramesses II at Abydos
mortuary temple
50 km NE
Sohag
regional city
60 km SE
Dendera
temple complex
N
Osireion
Temple of Seti I
Temple of Ramesses II at Abydos
Sohag
Dendera
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Osireion — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The Osireion is a partly subterranean cenotaph behind the Temple of Seti I at Abydos in Middle Egypt. It was built in the thirteenth century BCE in association with the cult of Osiris.

It was begun by the pharaoh Seti I in the thirteenth century BCE as part of his temple complex at Abydos and completed by his grandson Merenptah. Seti I reigned roughly 1290 to 1279 BCE.

The hall holds ten massive red granite pillars carrying single granite architraves above. Many of the blocks weigh more than 100 tonnes and were quarried at Aswan, over 250 kilometres upstream.

The central platform is surrounded by a channel fed by the local groundwater table. The arrangement is read as an architectural image of the primeval mound rising from the waters of Nun in Egyptian cosmology.

The Osireion was rediscovered in 1902 by the British archaeologists Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray, and excavated more fully through the 1920s. Earlier travellers had recorded only the upper stonework.

The Osireion is inside the Abydos archaeological precinct and is included in the standard ticket sold at the gate. Most visitors arrive on day trips from Luxor, about three hours away by road.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The Osireion is one of the most distinctive and least photographed monuments in Egypt, and the megalithic granite reads instantly to anyone who has studied or travelled there. A Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The red granite and groundwater palette sit well with Warm Minimalist, Old-World Library, and earth-toned Maximalist interiors. It also reads well against limewashed walls, dark wood, and travertine.

Above a sofa, a single Large reads as a centred anchor. For a wider wall, a 4-tile Mural holds the colonnade at scale. Above a console, a Medium or a horizontal Triptych is the right size.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for wet rooms and high-touch installs. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and is unaffected by steam, splash, or daily cleaning.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water handles routine dust. For heavier marks on Dura Satin or Matte, a mild dish-soap solution rinsed off with a damp cloth is enough.

Yes. The painting is by Reid Wender, the curator of the WenderVista atlas, and the tile is hand-finished in the studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. No licensing, no third parties.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.