Wender·Vista
Manama
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileBahrain
on the northeastern coast of Bahrain, across the causeway from Saudi Arabia

Manama

— — the dusk between the desert and the gulf.

— 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 Bahrain, on the northeastern coast of the main island, looking out across the Gulf. The old souq still trades in pearls and gold near Bab al-Bahrain; a few streets away the twin sail-shaped towers of the World Trade Center catch the wind off the water. At evening the harbour turns the colour of warm brass and nobody hurries.

from the studio
Manama
— bring it home

Manama, 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 Manama

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

Manama is the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, on the northeastern shore of Bahrain Island in the Persian Gulf. The metropolitan area holds roughly 600,000 people, about half of the country's population. The King Fahd Causeway, opened in 1986, connects the island to Saudi Arabia by a 25-kilometre run across the water. The city sits almost at sea level and is reached by Bahrain International Airport on neighbouring Muharraq Island, a short causeway away.

— informed by Wikipedia — Manama
— the air

Bahrain summers run hot and humid; July highs average 38°C with the Gulf turning the air thick by mid-morning. The cooler months, November through March, are the time the city walks itself: the Manama Souq, the corniche along the harbour, the gardens around Al Fateh Grand Mosque. Evening brings the shamal off the water and a brief gold hour before the call to prayer carries across from the mosque's 65-metre dome.

— the visit

Most visitors start at Bab al-Bahrain, the 1949 arched gateway that marks the entrance to the old souq, then walk the lanes for spice, gold, and pearls. Bahrain's pearl industry dates back over four thousand years and still shapes the merchant quarter. The Bahrain National Museum on the north shore holds the Dilmun-era finds; the Al Fateh Grand Mosque, completed 1988, is open to non-Muslims most days. Entry to both is free or under five dinar.

— where
Bahrain · Capital Governorate, Bahrain
— elevation
2 m · 7 ft
— position
26.2285° N · 50.5860° 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.
3 km NE
Muharraq
old capital city
17 km S
Riffa
city
25 km W
King Fahd Causeway
sea crossing
N
Manama
Muharraq
Riffa
King Fahd Causeway
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Manama is the capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain, on the northeastern coast of Bahrain Island in the Persian Gulf. It is connected to Saudi Arabia by the 25-kilometre King Fahd Causeway opened in 1986.

The name comes from the Arabic for 'place of rest' or 'the dream place.' It appears in records as early as the 14th century, when Manama was a small port on the Bahrain pearl coast.

Pearls. The Bahrain pearl beds were the most prized in the Gulf for over two thousand years and shaped the old souq, the merchant houses, and the outward-facing culture until oil arrived in 1932.

The Bahrain World Trade Center, completed 2008, is a pair of 240-metre towers shaped like dhow sails. Three wind turbines bridge the towers between floors sixteen and thirty, the first such integration in any skyscraper.

November through March. Daytime highs sit in the low twenties Celsius and the humidity drops. Bahrain's national day on 16 December and the Spring of Culture festival in March are the busier weeks.

— about the piece in your home

It has carried well for customers with family in the region. The Manama harbour and the sail-shaped towers are recognised images of home for many in the Gulf. A Small or Coaster Set with a handwritten note sends warmly.

The piece sits well with Coastal-modern, warm Minimalist, and Mediterranean-influenced rooms. The warm brass and gulf-blue palette holds against neutral linen, pale oak, and rattan; it also reads in a jewel-tone Maximalist setting.

A single Large is the usual choice above a console table. Above a full sofa a 4-tile Mural reads at the right scale; for a tall feature wall a 9-tile Mural carries the room.

Yes. Specify the Dura Satin or Matte finish for a bathroom, shower wall, or kitchen backsplash. Both are scratch-resistant and the colour lives in the surface, so steam and splashes do not affect it.

A microfibre cloth and warm water is all the tile needs. For a kitchen install, a mild dish soap is fine. Avoid abrasive pads or solvent cleaners; the surface does not need them.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made by our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. There is no licensing and no third-party stock. The Manama painting is part of Reid Wender's atlas of places.

— if this one stayed with you

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