shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileTaiwan

in the Pacific, off Taiwan's south-eastern coast

Orchid Island

— — a volcano the Tao kept building boats around.

— 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

“A volcanic island about 45 kilometres off Taiwan's south-eastern coast, home of the Tao people and their hand-built tatala boats. Cliffs drop straight into clear reef water on the windward side; the lee shore holds taro terraces and underground stone houses cut into the slope. The island runs 45 square kilometres and rarely more than 5,000 people. Flying fish come on the kuroshio current in spring.

from the studio

— bring it home

Orchid Island, 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 Orchid Island

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

Orchid Island, called Lanyu in Mandarin and Pongso no Tao in the indigenous Tao language, lies in the Pacific Ocean about 45 kilometres south-east of Taitung on Taiwan's main island. It is volcanic, roughly 45 square kilometres in area, with a high point at Hongtou Mountain (548 metres). The island has six Tao villages and a permanent population of about 5,000. It is administered as Lanyu Township within Taitung County.

— informed by Wikipedia — Orchid Island, Taitung County Government

— the water

The Kuroshio Current runs north along the island's eastern flank, holding the sea at around 25°C year-round and bringing the flying fish that are the centre of Tao culture. The reef is unusually intact for the western Pacific; visibility on calm days runs past 30 metres, and the south-east coast holds dense table-coral fields. The flying-fish season opens with a Tao ceremony in February or March and runs through June, when the tatala plank boats fish at night.

— informed by Taiwan Council of Indigenous Peoples — Tao

— the visit

Access is by ferry from Fugang Harbour near Taitung (about two and a half hours when seas allow) or by a 25-minute light-aircraft flight from Taitung Airport. Both run on weather; rough seas and typhoons close the ferry for days at a stretch. A single ring road circles the island in roughly 38 kilometres, best ridden by scooter. Visitors are asked to follow Tao protocols around the tatala boats, taro fields, and underground houses.

— informed by Taiwan Tourism Bureau — Lanyu

— where

Taiwan · Lanyu Township, Taitung County

— elevation

548 m · 1,798 ft

— position

22.0489° N · 121.5358° 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.

75 km NW

Green Island

volcanic island

45 km NW

Taitung

coastal city

5 km SE

Little Lanyu

islet

3 km N

Hongtou Mountain

summit

Orchid Island

Green Island

Taitung

Little Lanyu

Hongtou Mountain

— common questions

What people ask.

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

— about the place

In the Pacific Ocean about 45 kilometres south-east of Taitung on Taiwan's main island. It is administered as Lanyu Township within Taitung County and is reachable by ferry or light aircraft.

The Tao people, an Austronesian indigenous group whose population on the island is roughly 5,000. They live in six coastal villages and are linguistically and culturally distinct from Taiwan's other indigenous groups.

For the wild butterfly orchids (Phalaenopsis aphrodite) that once grew thickly on its slopes. The Mandarin name Lanyu means orchid island. The Tao name is Pongso no Tao, meaning island of the people.

Hand-built plank canoes made from local woods and lashed without nails. Each is carved with red and black geometric figures and is central to the Tao flying-fish season that runs from late winter through early summer.

By ferry from Fugang Harbour near Taitung, about two and a half hours when seas allow, or by a 25-minute light-aircraft flight from Taitung Airport. Both depend on weather and close for typhoons.

April through June, after the flying-fish ceremony opens the season and before the summer typhoons. The sea is calmest and the reef visibility is highest in this window.

— about the piece in your home

Yes, particularly for someone who has visited Taitung or has Tao family connections. The island is one of Taiwan's most distinctive places. A Medium for a study or a Coaster Set both carry well.

Coastal-modern, biophilic, and warm minimalist rooms. The reef-water blues and volcanic greens hold against teak, rattan, and unfinished linen without leaning tropical-themed.

Yes. Biophilic design reads strongest when the place reference is specific rather than generic ocean imagery. A named Pacific island with intact reef grounds the room in real geography.

A single Large for a console. Above a sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the coastline. For a stairwell or open-plan wall, a 9-tile Mural holds the full ring of cliffs and reef.

Yes, in our Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and rated for vertical wet installations, including shower walls and kitchen splashbacks.

A soft microfibre cloth, lightly damp with water. The colour is set into the ceramic surface and will not lift. Avoid abrasive pads and solvent-based cleaners.

Yes. Reid Wender curates and the studio finishes every tile in-house in Knoxville, Tennessee. No licensing, no third-party prints.

— if this one stayed with you