Wender·Vista
Bikaner
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia
in northern Rajasthan, on the edge of the Thar Desert

Bikaner

— — a red sandstone city the desert never finished.

— 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 walled desert city founded in 1488 by Rao Bika, second son of the Rathore ruler of Jodhpur, on a stretch of dry plain at the northern edge of the Thar. Junagarh Fort sits in the centre, one of the few major Rajput forts built on flat ground rather than on a hilltop, ringed by a moat and a low ridge of carved red sandstone. Outside the city, at Deshnoke, the temple to Karni Mata keeps its rats.

from the studio
Bikaner
— bring it home

Bikaner, 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 Bikaner

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

Bikaner sits in the northern Thar Desert in the state of Rajasthan, about 330 kilometres northwest of Jaipur, at an elevation near 240 metres. The city was founded in 1488 by Rao Bika, a Rathore prince of Jodhpur, on land granted by the local Jat chieftains. It grew along a stretch of caravan route between Central Asia and the Gujarat ports, and remained the seat of a princely state until accession to India in 1949. The walled old city, the fort, and the temple at Deshnoke remain the core heritage of the region.

— the stone

Junagarh Fort was begun in 1589 under Raja Rai Singh, a general in Akbar's army, and built outward across the following three centuries by successive rulers. The walls are carved Dulmera sandstone, a deep red local stone that holds detail well in the dry air. Inside, the Anup Mahal, the Karan Mahal, and the Phool Mahal carry some of the finest gold-leaf and lacquer work in Rajput architecture. Unlike most major Rajput forts, Junagarh stands on flat ground, defended by a moat and a low encircling ridge rather than a hill.

— informed by Junagarh Fort
— the visit

Bikaner is reached by overnight train from Delhi in roughly nine hours, or about a five-hour drive from Jaipur on NH11. The fort is open daily, generally from 10:00 to 16:30, with a separate ticket for the museum wing. The Karni Mata Temple at Deshnoke, about 30 kilometres south, is the principal day-trip and is open from early morning to evening. Late October through February is the comfortable season; summer days regularly exceed 45 °C and the desert wind carries fine sand into everything.

— informed by Junagarh Fort museum
— where
India · Bikaner district, Rajasthan
— elevation
242 m · 794 ft
— position
28.0229° N · 73.3119° 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.
30 km S
Karni Mata Temple
Hindu temple
at the lake
Junagarh Fort
Rajput fort
8 km S
National Research Centre on Camel
research centre
3 km N
Lalgarh Palace
palace hotel
N
Bikaner
Karni Mata Temple
Junagarh Fort
National Research Centre on Camel
Lalgarh Palace
— common questions

What people ask.

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

In 1488, by Rao Bika, a Rathore prince and second son of the ruler of Jodhpur. He established the city on land granted by local Jat chieftains, along a Central Asia to Gujarat caravan route.

It is one of the few major Rajput forts built on flat ground rather than a hilltop, begun in 1589 under Raja Rai Singh. The Anup Mahal, Karan Mahal, and Phool Mahal hold some of the finest Rajput gold-leaf and lacquer interiors.

A temple at Deshnoke, about 30 kilometres south of Bikaner, dedicated to the goddess Karni Mata. It is famous for the colony of around 25,000 black rats kept and protected within the temple compound.

In northern Rajasthan, on the edge of the Thar Desert, about 330 kilometres northwest of Jaipur and 450 kilometres west of Delhi. The city sits near 240 metres elevation on dry desert plain.

Late October through February. Days are warm and dry, nights are cold enough to need a layer, and the desert light is at its clearest. Summer days from April to June regularly exceed 45 °C.

Bikaneri bhujia, a spiced gram-flour snack with national protected status; camel breeding at the National Research Centre on Camel; and the annual Camel Festival held each January in the city.

— about the piece in your home

It works well for that reader. The red Dulmera sandstone reads as Bikaner specifically rather than a generic Rajasthan image, and the piece carries that desert-city quality. A Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries best.

The red sandstone tones sit well in jewel-tone maximalist, Indo-modern, and warm earth-tone rooms. It also reads well against limewashed walls, in a dining room, or above a console in a layered entry.

Yes. The current move toward terracotta, ochre, and deep red palettes lands directly on this piece, and the Voynich treatment keeps the tile from reading as tourist print. The Large is the size that does the most work in this style.

A single Large over a standard sofa. A 4-tile Mural above a wider console or buffet, and a 9-tile Mural as a single composition above a longer sofa or dining sideboard.

Yes, on the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both handle steam and splashes and resist scratches. The Glossy finish is for framed wall pieces away from direct water exposure.

A soft microfibre cloth with water handles routine dust and fingerprints. For kitchen installs with cooking residue, a drop of dish soap in warm water on a soft cloth. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh solvents.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in-house by Reid Wender and his studio, in our stained-glass and alcohol-ink language. We do not licence outside artwork, and the work is not sold through any third party.

— if this one stayed with you

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