shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileGreece

a small Ionian island, off the west coast of Greece

Ithaca

Name: Ithaca — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — the island the long story comes home to.

— 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

“Ithaca is small. About 96 square kilometres, pinched into a near-figure-eight by a narrow isthmus, with Vathy harbour curling deep into its southern half. Olive groves on the slopes, goats on the ridges, ferries from Kefalonia twice a day. The island Homer gave Odysseus to come back to, and the one Greeks still come back to from Athens in August. from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

Ithaca, 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 Ithaca

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

Ithaca lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia, in the Ionian Sea, separated from its larger neighbour by the narrow Ithaca Strait. The island covers about 96 square kilometres and holds roughly 3,000 permanent residents, most of them in and around Vathy, the capital and main harbour. Mount Niritos rises to 806 metres on the northern half; a narrow isthmus called Aetos joins north and south. The island has been continuously inhabited since the Bronze Age and is traditionally identified as the home of Homer's Odysseus.

— informed by Wikipedia — Ithaca

— the stone

The archaeology of Ithaca runs deep but quietly. The School of Homer site near Stavros, in the northern half, has yielded Mycenaean walls and pottery and is one candidate for the palace of Odysseus. The Cave of the Nymphs above Dexa beach, fitted to the description in Book 13 of the Odyssey, has held cult offerings since the 8th century BCE. The island's settlements are stone-built and low, with Venetian and 19th-century influence visible in Vathy and the older hill villages of Anogi and Perachori.

— informed by Wikipedia — Ithaca

— the visit

Ithaca has no airport. Visitors arrive by ferry from Kefalonia, most commonly the short crossing from Sami to Pisaetos, or from Patras on the mainland to Vathy. The shoulder seasons of May, June, and September run warm and uncrowded; July and August fill with Greek and Italian holidaymakers and the harbours line with yachts. Roads are narrow, the coves are reached on foot, and the standard day is a swim, a long lunch in a village taverna, and a slow drive between the two halves of the island.

— informed by Wikipedia — Ithaca

— where

Greece · Ithaca, Ionian Islands

— position

38.4200° N · 20.7100° 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

Vathy

harbour town

5 km W

Kefalonia

island

15 km N

Stavros

village

Ithaca

Vathy

Kefalonia

Stavros

— common questions

What people ask.

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

— about the place

In the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece, just east of the larger island of Kefalonia. It is part of the Ionian Islands regional unit and lies about 30 kilometres west of the Greek mainland.

About 96 square kilometres, with roughly 3,000 permanent residents. The shape is a near-figure-eight, with northern and southern halves joined by the narrow isthmus of Aetos.

Yes, by long tradition. The island has been identified as the home of Odysseus since antiquity. Archaeology near Stavros has yielded Mycenaean material consistent with a Bronze Age palace site, though no inscription has confirmed it.

By ferry only. The short crossing from Sami on Kefalonia to Pisaetos runs several times a day. Longer ferries connect Vathy to Patras on the Greek mainland. There is no airport on the island.

May, June, and September are warm, calm, and uncrowded. July and August are busy with Greek and Italian holidaymakers. Winters are mild and most visitor services close down.

Vathy, on a deep natural harbour in the island's southern half. It holds the ferry pier, most of the cafés and tavernas, and the archaeological museum.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Ithaca carries weight beyond its size, for diaspora Greeks and for readers of the Odyssey alike. A Medium or Large with a studio note travels well as a homecoming gift.

The blue and stone palette sits comfortably in coastal-modern, Mediterranean, and warm minimalist rooms. It also lifts a neutral wall in a Japandi or jewel-tone interior.

Yes. Mediterranean and coastal-modern palettes have stayed steady through recent design cycles. The piece reads as one held place rather than a beach-house cliché.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a 4-tile Mural. For a long console or a wider wall, a 9-tile Mural carries the scale.

Yes. Order Dura Satin or Matte for any humid or splash-prone room. Both are scratch-resistant and read close to the glossy version once they catch room light.

A microfibre cloth and water. The colour lives in the ceramic surface itself, not on top of it, so it does not lift under normal household cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original Wender Studios work, hand-finished in our Knoxville studio. No licensing, no third-party prints.

— if this one stayed with you