Wender·Vista
Valley of the Kings
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileEgypt
on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor

Valley of the Kings

— — a dry valley that kept the kings for three thousand years.

— 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

“The royal burial ground of the New Kingdom pharaohs. For nearly five centuries, from about 1539 to 1075 BCE, the kings of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties were cut into the limestone of a single dry valley on the west bank of the Nile, hidden behind the pyramid-shaped peak of al-Qurn. More than sixty tombs have been recorded. Tutankhamun's was the one found nearly intact, in 1922.

from the studio
Valley of the Kings
— bring it home

Valley of the Kings, 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 Valley of the Kings

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 Valley of the Kings (Arabic: Wādī al-Mulūk) lies on the west bank of the Nile across from modern Luxor, ancient Thebes, in Upper Egypt. The valley sits below the pyramid-shaped peak of al-Qurn, which the ancient Egyptians associated with the goddess Hathor. The site holds at least 65 numbered tombs and chambers, cut between roughly 1539 and 1075 BCE during the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties. It is part of the Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1979.

— the stone

The tombs are cut into the soft Theban limestone of the valley walls. Most descend in stepped corridors to a burial chamber decorated with passages from the Book of the Dead, the Amduat, and the Book of Gates. The longest tomb, Seti I's KV17, runs more than 137 metres into the rock. Tutankhamun's KV62, found by the British archaeologist Howard Carter on 4 November 1922, was the only royal tomb in the valley discovered with most of its grave goods intact.

— informed by Wikipedia: KV62
— the visit

A standard ticket admits visitors to any three of the open tombs; Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramesses VI each require a separate ticket. The valley opens around 06:00 in summer and closes mid-afternoon, when the heat in the unshaded basin becomes severe. Most visitors arrive from cruise boats moored on the east bank at Luxor and cross by ferry or by the road bridge. Photography inside the tombs requires a separate camera ticket, sold at the visitor centre.

— where
Egypt · Theban Necropolis, Luxor Governorate
— position
25.7402° N · 32.6014° 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.
2 km E
Hatshepsut Temple
mortuary temple
3 km S
Valley of the Queens
necropolis
5 km SE
Colossi of Memnon
monumental statues
8 km E
Karnak Temple
temple complex
N
Valley of the Kings
Hatshepsut Temple
Valley of the Queens
Colossi of Memnon
Karnak Temple
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Valley of the Kings — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

On the west bank of the Nile, across from Luxor in Upper Egypt. The valley sits below the peak of al-Qurn and forms part of the ancient Theban necropolis.

At least 65 numbered tombs and chambers have been recorded. They include kings, queens, royal children, and high officials of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.

Between roughly 1539 and 1075 BCE, during the New Kingdom period. The first king known to be buried in the valley was Thutmose I; the last was Ramesses XI.

Tutankhamun's. Carter located KV62 on 4 November 1922 after years of searching. It was the only royal tomb in the valley found with most of its grave goods intact.

The valley is dry, isolated, and dominated by the pyramid-shaped peak of al-Qurn. The Egyptians associated the peak with Hathor and used the natural shape in place of the older pyramid tombs.

Yes. The valley is part of Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, inscribed by UNESCO in 1979 for its concentration of New Kingdom royal tombs and mortuary temples.

— about the piece in your home

Many of our customers send the Valley of the Kings tile to friends after a Nile trip. A Small or Medium in Glossy carries the desert ochre and the shadow of the tomb walls.

The warm sandstone palette suits Old-world Mediterranean, Jewel-tone Maximalist, and library-style rooms with dark wood. It pairs well with brass and unbleached linen.

Yes. Antiquarian-style libraries and dark-academia rooms are a current direction in interior design, and the Valley of the Kings palette belongs to that visual family.

A single Large reads well above a standard sofa. A 4-tile Mural carries a longer wall above a console; a 9-tile Mural is suited to a tall study or a stair landing.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and steam will not affect it.

A microfibre cloth and warm water. No solvents, no abrasive cleaners. The thin glossy finish wipes clean and the colour lives in the surface beneath it.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio. There is no licensing and no third-party catalogue; the work is painted, finished, and shipped from Knoxville, Tennessee.

— if this one stayed with you

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