Wender·Vista
Taj Mahal
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIndia
on the south bank of the Yamuna, at Agra

Taj Mahal

— — marble that takes the colour of the hour.

— 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

“Shah Jahan began the tomb for Mumtaz Mahal in 1632 and the work ran more than two decades. White Makrana marble inlaid with cornelian, jade, lapis, and turquoise. The dome is 73 metres tall and reads pink at sunrise, white at noon, and the colour of warm milk at dusk. The reflecting pool holds it twice. The Yamuna runs slow along the back wall. from the studio

from the studio
Taj Mahal
— bring it home

Taj Mahal, 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 Taj Mahal

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

The Taj Mahal stands on the south bank of the Yamuna river in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, about 230 kilometres southeast of Delhi. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the mausoleum in 1632 for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth the year before. Construction of the main tomb took until about 1648 and the wider complex of gateway, mosque, jawab, and charbagh garden was completed around 1653. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and is administered by the Archaeological Survey of India.

— the stone

The tomb is built of white Makrana marble quarried in Rajasthan, set on a red sandstone plinth. The central dome rises 73 metres above the platform and is flanked by four minarets that lean very slightly outward, so any seismic collapse would fall away from the tomb. Pietra dura inlay covers the dado panels and the calligraphic borders: jasper, jade, crystal, turquoise, lapis lazuli, sapphire, and cornelian set into the marble in floral and Quranic patterns. The calligraphy was designed by Amanat Khan, the only craftsman whose signature appears on the building.

— the visit

The Taj is open from sunrise to sunset every day except Friday, when the mosque on the complex is reserved for prayer. Tickets are sold by the Archaeological Survey of India online and at the gates; the foreign-visitor ticket includes access to the mausoleum platform. The most settled light falls in the first hour after sunrise from the eastern Darwaza-i Rauza gate. October through March is the cool dry season; the summer monsoon and the pre-monsoon heat through May make midday visits hard work. Agra is reached from Delhi by the Gatimaan Express in about 100 minutes.

— where
India · Agra, Uttar Pradesh
— elevation
171 m · 561 ft
— position
27.1751° N · 78.0421° 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.
2 km NW
Agra Fort
Mughal fortress and UNESCO site
40 km W
Fatehpur Sikri
Mughal capital ruin and UNESCO site
4 km N
Itimad-ud-Daulah
early Mughal tomb, the Baby Taj
N
Taj Mahal
Agra Fort
Fatehpur Sikri
Itimad-ud-Daulah
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the tomb in 1632 for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth the previous year. The main mausoleum was complete by about 1648 and the wider complex around 1653.

The central dome rises 73 metres above the marble platform. The four minarets stand 40 metres tall and lean very slightly outward, an engineering choice meant to keep them clear of the tomb in an earthquake.

White Makrana marble from Rajasthan, set on a red sandstone plinth, with pietra dura inlay of jasper, jade, lapis lazuli, turquoise, sapphire, and cornelian in floral and Quranic patterns across the dado and borders.

On the south bank of the Yamuna river in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, about 230 kilometres southeast of Delhi. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage property since 1983.

Every Friday, when the mosque on the complex is reserved for prayer. The site is otherwise open from sunrise to sunset daily and offers limited night viewing on five nights around each full moon.

About 21 years for the full complex. Work on the central mausoleum began in 1632 and was largely complete by 1648; the gateway, mosque, jawab, and garden were finished around 1653.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers from across the subcontinent and the diaspora. A Medium on a hallway wall or a Small on a desk reads as a quiet daily reminder of home.

The tile settles into Mughal-inspired interiors, warm jewel-tone maximalist rooms, and modern Indian-eclectic spaces. The creams and deep blues read well against walnut, brass, and oxblood-painted accents.

Yes. A single piece of marble-and-lapis colour over a console is a steady current in jewel-tone rooms. A Medium is the most common size for that placement; a Large carries a larger wall.

A single Large sits well above a console or a narrow sofa. Above a full sofa, a 4-tile Mural holds the proportion; for a long wall in a dining room, the 9-tile Mural carries the field.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both finishes are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installation in showers, backsplashes, and powder rooms. Glossy is reserved for framed wall pieces.

A dry microfibre cloth for daily dust; a damp microfibre with plain water for anything more. Skip abrasives and ammonia cleaners. The colour lives in the surface and wants no scrubbing.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nothing is licensed in or sub-contracted out; Reid curates the atlas and the studio finishes each tile by hand.

— if this one stayed with you

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