shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndonesia

in the Sudirman Range of Papua, above the cloud line

Puncak Jaya

Name: Puncak Jaya — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — the last equatorial ice, holding on.

— 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

“The highest point between the Himalaya and the Andes, lifted out of the jungle by tectonic collision. Locals call the summit Nemangkawi, the white arrow. The ice cap at the top has been retreating since the 1930s and what remains is measured each year. The peak sits inside the Lorentz World Heritage Area, reached only by helicopter, by long jungle approach, or with a permit through the mine road. Few faces ever see it close.

from the studio

— bring it home

Puncak Jaya, 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 Puncak Jaya

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

Puncak Jaya, also called Carstensz Pyramid, rises 4,884 metres above the Sudirman Range in Central Papua, Indonesia. It is the highest island peak on Earth and the highest point between the Himalaya and the Andes. The mountain anchors Lorentz National Park, inscribed by UNESCO in 1999, a 2.35-million-hectare reserve that stretches from the snowline down to mangrove coast. The summit was first reached in 1962 by an expedition led by Heinrich Harrer. Access today runs either by helicopter or a multi-day jungle approach from Sugapa, with permits required from local authorities and customary landholders.

— informed by Wikipedia, UNESCO World Heritage

— the air

Above 4,500 metres the air on Carstensz carries roughly half the oxygen of sea level, and the equatorial sun burns harder for the same reason. Cloud builds against the wall most afternoons and clears, sometimes, near dawn. The summit ridge is limestone, sharp and wet, and the standard route crosses a Tyrolean traverse rigged between two notches. Climbers stage from a base camp at Lake Valley, several hundred metres below the wall, where the temperature drops below freezing each night even on the equator.

— informed by American Alpine Journal

— the year

The Carstensz ice field has been measured since the 1930s, and the retreat has been near-continuous. A 2018 study by the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center reported that the remaining glaciers had lost about 93 percent of their 1850 area and projected total loss within the decade. The mountain still holds a small ice cap above 4,600 metres, the last tropical glacier in the Pacific. The dry months from May through October give the most stable summit window; cyclonic weather closes the wall the rest of the year.

— informed by Ohio State Byrd Polar Center

— where

Indonesia · Mimika, Central Papua

— within

Lorentz National Park

— elevation

4,884 m · 16,024 ft

— position

-4.0784° S · 137.1583° 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

Lorentz National Park

World Heritage reserve

4 km W

Grasberg Mine

open-pit mine

80 km N

Sugapa

trailhead village

Puncak Jaya

Lorentz National Park

Grasberg Mine

Sugapa

— common questions

What people ask.

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

— about the place

Puncak Jaya rises 4,884 metres, or 16,024 feet, above the Sudirman Range in Central Papua. It is the highest peak in Indonesia and the highest island summit anywhere on Earth.

Dutch navigator Jan Carstenszoon reported snow on the equator in 1623 and was ridiculed in Europe for it. The peak was named for him after the sighting was confirmed nearly three centuries later.

Yes. A small ice cap remains above 4,600 metres, the last tropical glacier in the Pacific. It has lost roughly 93 percent of its 1850 area and continues to retreat each year.

Yes, on the Messner list. It is the highest point in Oceania and Australasia, replacing Mount Kosciuszko in the seven-continent version of the climb.

Two routes. A helicopter flight from Timika lands at Lake Valley base camp. The traditional jungle approach starts at Sugapa and takes five to seven days through Lorentz National Park with local guides and porters.

The drier months from May through October offer the most stable summit weather. Cyclonic systems and heavy afternoon cloud close the wall through much of the rest of the year.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well for that. Puncak Jaya is a national high point and a cultural landmark for the highland Papuan communities around it. A Small or Medium with a note from the studio travels well as a gift.

The cool blues and white of the ice cap settle into Alpine modern, Minimalist, and cool-jewel-tone rooms. The piece reads quietly against pale wood, stone, or a dark wall.

Yes. Mountain-modern leans on real summit imagery rather than generic alpine scenes. A high-equatorial peak like Carstensz reads as informed and uncommon in that style family.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large fills the wall cleanly. For more presence, a 4-tile Mural anchors the room, and a 9-tile Mural carries a tall wall.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and stand up to steam, splash, and daily cleaning on vertical installations.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface, so it does not need polishing or sealing.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made by Reid Wender in our Knoxville studio. No licensing, no third-party stock, no resale of someone else's image.

— if this one stayed with you