Wender·Vista
Comino
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileMalta
the small island between Malta and Gozo

Comino

— — a turquoise inlet the ferries empty by sundown.

— 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 small island in the channel between Malta and Gozo, about three and a half square kilometres of low limestone and thyme. The Blue Lagoon on the western side reads as pale turquoise where shallow water meets white sand over rock. A seventeenth-century watchtower stands at the southern point. The permanent population is in the single digits. Ferries from Cirkewwa run through the day and leave by dusk, and the island goes quiet under a wide sky.

from the studio
Comino
— bring it home

Comino, 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 Comino

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

Comino is a small Maltese island in the channel between Malta and Gozo, with an area of about three and a half square kilometres and a permanent population in the single digits. Administratively it forms part of the village of Għajnsielem on Gozo. The name is taken from the cumin plant once cultivated on the island. The terrain is low limestone, treeless in most places and scented in summer by wild thyme. Comino is part of a Natura 2000 site for its bird life and its surrounding waters, which include the Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon and Santa Marija Bay.

— the water

The Blue Lagoon, on the west side between Comino and the islet of Cominotto, is the colour the island is known for. Shallow seawater over a clean white sand and limestone floor scatters the shorter wavelengths of light and reads as a clear pale turquoise on calm days. Crystal Lagoon, on the north side, is deeper and a darker blue, set under cliffs with sea caves cut into them. The water round Comino is part of a marine conservation area, and swimming, snorkelling and small-boat anchorage are the principal draws.

— the visit

Comino is reached by passenger ferry, principally from Cirkewwa on Malta and Mġarr on Gozo, with regular sailings between about nine and five in summer. Day-trip volumes have been heavy enough in recent years that the Maltese authorities have moved to cap deckchair and kiosk concessions at the Blue Lagoon. The island is car-free; a network of dirt paths links the lagoon to Santa Marija Bay, to the chapel of Our Lady's Return from Egypt, and to the Wignacourt watchtower at the south end. A small hotel operates on the island.

— informed by Visit Malta — Comino
— where
Malta · Għajnsielem, Gozo Region
— position
36.0125° N · 14.3344° 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.
1 km NW
Gozo
Maltese island
2 km SE
Cirkewwa
ferry terminal on Malta
1 km W
Cominotto
uninhabited islet
N
Comino
Gozo
Cirkewwa
Cominotto
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Comino is a small Maltese island in the South Comino Channel between the main island of Malta and Gozo. Administratively it belongs to the village of Għajnsielem on Gozo and covers about three and a half square kilometres.

Shallow seawater passes over a clean floor of pale sand and limestone between Comino and the islet of Cominotto. The light scatters off the bright bottom and reads as a clear turquoise on calm days, deeper blue where the floor drops away.

The permanent population is in the single digits and has been so for decades. A small hotel and seasonal kiosks operate during the warm months, and ranger and conservation staff move on and off the island as work requires.

Saint Mary's Tower, also called the Comino Tower, was completed in 1618 under the Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt. It guarded the channel between Malta and Gozo and is one of the largest of the Wignacourt coastal watchtowers.

Passenger ferries run principally from Cirkewwa on northern Malta and from Mġarr on Gozo. Sailings run roughly hourly during the summer season and stop by early evening. There are no cars or roads on the island.

May and September are quieter than the July and August peak and the sea is warm enough to swim. Winter days can be clear and calm but most kiosks and the hotel close, and ferry frequency drops sharply.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for Maltese-heritage families and for anyone who has spent a summer on the island. Comino reads as the country's quietest postcard, and a Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note carries the place well.

The turquoise and pale limestone read well in Coastal-modern, warm Mediterranean and Jewel-tone Maximalist rooms. The piece sits naturally beside lime-washed walls, raw linen and bleached oak.

Yes. Mediterranean-blue art on hand-finished ceramic has carried strongly through the current cycle of Coastal-modern and quiet-luxe interiors. Comino's turquoise gives the room a real place rather than a generic seascape.

A single Large reads cleanly above a console or a narrow sofa. Above a full sofa a four-tile Mural opens the lagoon out; for a longer dining wall, the nine-tile Mural carries the view.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any room with steam or splatter. Both are scratch-resistant and hold up to daily cleaning; the Glossy finish is best reserved for dry framed display.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh cleansers; the colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a thin protective finish and asks for very little.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made in our family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, under the eye of Reid Wender. The artwork is not licensed and is not sold through any other studio or print house.

— if this one stayed with you

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