Wender·Vista
Butuan
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePhilippines
on the Agusan River, in northern Mindanao

Butuan

— — the city the wooden boats came 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
— 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 capital of Agusan del Norte, on the delta where the Agusan River meets Butuan Bay. The balangay boats unearthed in the 1970s are dated to the 4th century, the oldest watercraft found in the Philippines. The city kept the name. Rice barges still work the river upstream from the Magsaysay Bridge. from the studio

from the studio
Butuan
— bring it home

Butuan, 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 Butuan

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

Butuan is a highly urbanised city on the northeastern coast of Mindanao, the regional centre of Caraga and the capital of Agusan del Norte province. It sits on the delta of the Agusan River, the third-longest river in the Philippines, where it empties into Butuan Bay. The 2020 census recorded a population of about 372,000. Bancasi Airport on the city's western edge connects Butuan to Manila and Cebu. The name appears in Chinese trade records as early as the 10th century, when the kingdom of Butuan sent envoys to the Song court.

— the year

The city's calendar turns on two observances. The Adlaw Hong Butuan, on 2 August, marks the chartering of Butuan as a city in 1950 and runs a week of civic events along J.C. Aquino Avenue. Balangay Festival in May commemorates the wooden boats unearthed in Barangay Libertad and the Butuanons' maritime past, with a fluvial parade on the Agusan River. The dry season runs February through April; the southwest monsoon brings the heaviest rains from June through October.

— the water

The Agusan River runs about 350 kilometres from the highlands of Compostela Valley north to Butuan Bay, draining a basin of nearly 11,000 square kilometres. The river is the reason the city exists. Nine pre-colonial balangay boats, the oldest dated to roughly the 4th century, were excavated from the alluvial soil at Barangay Libertad starting in 1976; the Balangay Shrine Museum holds the surviving timbers. The river floods regularly through the wet season; the bridges at Magsaysay and Camo carry the city across when the lower delta closes to traffic.

— where
Philippines · Agusan del Norte, Caraga, Mindanao
— position
8.9475° N · 125.5406° 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.
5 km N
Balangay Shrine Museum
archaeological museum
10 km S
Mount Mayapay
table mountain
80 km S
Agusan Marsh
wetland wildlife sanctuary
30 km E
Cabadbaran
neighbouring city
N
Butuan
Balangay Shrine Museum
Mount Mayapay
Agusan Marsh
Cabadbaran
— common questions

What people ask.

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

On the northeastern coast of Mindanao, at the delta of the Agusan River where it meets Butuan Bay. It is the regional centre of Caraga and the capital of Agusan del Norte province.

Pre-colonial wooden plank boats joined edge-to-edge with dowels. Nine were excavated at Barangay Libertad starting in 1976; the oldest is dated to the 4th century, the earliest watercraft found in the Philippines.

Bancasi Airport on the city's western edge has daily flights to Manila and Cebu. By sea, the port at Nasipit, 25 kilometres west, takes ferries from Cebu and other Visayan ports.

Chinese sources from the early 11th century, notably the Song Shi, record a tribute mission from the kingdom of Butuan to the Song court in 1003. Local archaeology shows trade activity centuries earlier.

Butuanon and Cebuano are both widely used; Cebuano dominates day-to-day commerce. Filipino and English are official and used in schools, government, and most signage.

Held annually in May, with a fluvial parade of replica boats on the Agusan River. The festival commemorates the Butuanons' maritime past and the boats unearthed at Barangay Libertad.

— about the piece in your home

It often is, especially for Butuanons living overseas. The river and the balangay carry the city's story in a way most landmark gifts can't. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The river-greens, ochres, and warm-wood tones sit inside Tropical-modern, Coastal-tropical, and Filipino-traditional interiors. It also reads well beside woven rattan and dark hardwood.

Yes. The piece adds saturated colour without busy ornament, which is what warm-minimalist rooms want of a single statement wall. It anchors a quiet room without overwhelming it.

Above a sofa, a single Large at the right scale. Above a wider console or in a stairwell, a 4-tile Mural; for a full feature wall, a 9-tile Mural carries the eye.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any wall that sees steam or splash. Both are scratch-resistant and clean with a damp microfibre cloth.

A soft microfibre cloth and plain water. Avoid abrasive pads and ammonia-based sprays; the colour lives inside the ceramic surface and cleans like fine porcelain.

Yes. Reid Wender curates and the studio paints every piece in our stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language. We do not licence the artwork in or out.

— if this one stayed with you

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