shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileMalaysia

in Kinabalu Park, on the island of Borneo

Mount Kota Kinabalu

— — a granite mass above the rainforest.

— 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 mountain in Malaysia, a granite massif rising above the rainforest of Sabah on the island of Borneo. The summit ridge is bare rock, the lower slopes hold some of the densest forest left in Southeast Asia, and Kinabalu Park around it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000. Climbers leave the high hut in darkness for sunrise at Low's Peak.

from the studio

— bring it home

Mount Kota Kinabalu, 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 Mount Kota Kinabalu

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 mountain rises to 4,095 metres at Low's Peak, the highest point in Malaysia and the twentieth-highest in the world by topographic prominence. It sits within Kinabalu Park, a 754-square-kilometre protected area in the state of Sabah on the island of Borneo, about 90 kilometres northeast of the coastal city of Kota Kinabalu. The park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000, the first World Heritage site in Malaysia, recognised for its exceptional biodiversity across tropical lowland, montane, and alpine zones.

— informed by UNESCO — Kinabalu Park, Wikipedia — Mount Kinabalu

— the stone

The summit plateau is a pluton of pale granite that intruded into the surrounding rock between roughly one and a half and seven million years ago and is still rising slowly. The bare rock of the upper mountain, including South Peak, St John's Peak, the Donkey's Ears, and Low's Peak itself, was carved by Pleistocene glaciation. Below about 3,300 metres the granite gives way to cloud forest and the pitcher-plant bog where Nepenthes rajah, the largest carnivorous pitcher plant in the world, grows wild.

— informed by Wikipedia — Nepenthes rajah

— the dawn

Summit climbs leave Laban Rata, the high hut at 3,272 metres, at about 2 a.m. so that climbers reach Low's Peak before sunrise. From the top the curve of the South China Sea is visible to the west on a clear morning, and the shadow of the mountain falls fifty kilometres across the rainforest to the east. Permits are required, climbers must engage a licensed mountain guide, and only a fixed number of summit passes are issued each day through Sabah Parks.

— informed by Sabah Parks

— where

Malaysia · Ranau District, Sabah

— within

Kinabalu Park

— elevation

4,095 m · 13,435 ft

— position

6.0750° N · 116.5588° 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.

90 km SW

Kota Kinabalu

city

20 km E

Ranau

town

30 km E

Poring Hot Springs

hot springs

6 km S

Laban Rata

high-altitude hut

Mount Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu

Ranau

Poring Hot Springs

Laban Rata

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Mount Kota Kinabalu — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

In Kinabalu Park in the state of Sabah, on the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo. The mountain sits about 90 kilometres northeast of the coastal city of Kota Kinabalu, the main access point for climbers.

The summit, Low's Peak, stands at 4,095 metres above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Malaysia and one of the highest peaks in Southeast Asia between the Himalaya and the mountains of New Guinea.

Yes. Kinabalu Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000, the first World Heritage site in Malaysia. The listing recognised the park's exceptional plant and animal diversity across multiple climate zones.

The standard route to Low's Peak is a steep walk with fixed ropes on the upper rock, not a technical climb. A licensed Sabah Parks mountain guide is required, and permits are issued in limited daily numbers.

Climbers spend the night at Laban Rata, a hut at 3,272 metres, and leave for the summit at about 2 a.m. to arrive at Low's Peak before sunrise. The full ascent is usually completed in two days.

Kinabalu Park holds an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 plant species, including Rafflesia and Nepenthes rajah, the largest pitcher plant in the world. Endemic birds include the Kinabalu friendly warbler and the mountain serpent eagle.

— about the piece in your home

It has carried well for customers who summited Low's Peak or who keep family in Sabah. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio is often the right shape for that gift.

The granite greys and rainforest greens sit comfortably in Mountain-modern, biophilic, and Tropical-traditional rooms. The piece pairs with teak, rattan, and dark slate without competing for the eye.

Biophilic design has anchored on rainforest greens and natural stone over the last several seasons. The tile reads as a permanent piece inside that palette, not as a trend object.

A single Large reads well above a console or sideboard. Above a full sofa, a four-tile Mural carries the wall; a nine-tile Mural suits long walls in great rooms and lodge interiors.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and suited to vertical installations in showers, backsplashes, and powder rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth and water are all the surface needs. No solvents, no abrasives. The colour lives in the surface and will not lift with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every piece is original work by Reid Wender, hand-finished in our Knoxville studio. We do not license images in or out.

— if this one stayed with you