Wender·Vista
Itsukushima Shrine
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileJapan
on Miyajima island, in Hiroshima Bay

Itsukushima Shrine

— — the gate the tide walks under.

— 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 Shinto shrine on Miyajima, raised on pillars over the tideflat so that at high water it floats and at low water you can walk out to the great vermillion torii in the bay. The current layout dates from 1168, the work of the Taira clan, though a shrine has stood here since the sixth century. UNESCO World Heritage since 1996. Deer wander the approach.

from the studio
Itsukushima Shrine
— bring it home

Itsukushima Shrine, 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 Itsukushima Shrine

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

Itsukushima Shrine sits on the northern shore of Itsukushima, the island commonly called Miyajima, in Hiroshima Bay in the Seto Inland Sea. A shrine has stood on this site since at least 593 AD, but the present pier-built layout, with its corridors raised above the tideflat, is credited to Taira no Kiyomori and dates from 1168. The complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996. The freestanding great torii, set roughly 200 metres offshore, is the icon of the site.

— the water

The shrine is engineered around the tide. At high water the main hall, corridors, and stage appear to float; at low water the seabed becomes walkable and visitors can approach the base of the great torii on foot. The tidal range in Hiroshima Bay is roughly four metres, so the two faces of the site are reset twice each day. The current great torii, completed in 1875, stands about 16 metres high and is anchored mainly by its own weight.

— the visit

The island is reached by a ten-minute ferry from Miyajimaguchi, on the JR Sanyō Line about 25 minutes from central Hiroshima. A small entry fee is collected at the shrine; the grounds themselves and the path to the great torii at low tide are free to walk. Wild sika deer roam the approach and the village streets, descended from the herds that have lived on the island for centuries. Tide tables are posted at the ferry terminal and online.

— informed by JNTO — Miyajima
— where
Japan · Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture
— elevation
0 m · 0 ft
— position
34.2959° N · 132.3197° 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.
20 km NE
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
memorial site
2 km S
Mount Misen
island peak
N
Itsukushima Shrine
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Mount Misen
— common questions

What people ask.

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

The main complex is built on pillars over the tideflat. At high water the corridors and stage stand clear of the sea; at low water the same structure rests above wet sand. The tidal range in Hiroshima Bay is around four metres.

A shrine has stood on the site since at least 593 AD. The present pier-built layout is credited to Taira no Kiyomori and dates from 1168. The complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996.

The current great torii, completed in 1875, stands about 16 metres high. It is set roughly 200 metres offshore from the main shrine and is anchored largely by its own weight, with the legs resting in the seabed rather than being driven into it.

Yes, at low tide. The seabed in front of the shrine becomes walkable and visitors approach the base of the gate on foot. At high tide the same ground is under several metres of water. Tide tables are posted at the ferry terminal.

A ferry from Miyajimaguchi crosses to the island in about ten minutes. Miyajimaguchi is around 25 minutes from central Hiroshima on the JR Sanyō Line. Two ferry operators run frequent service through the day.

— about the piece in your home

Many of our customers have given it to family with ties to the Seto Inland Sea region. The great torii at Miyajima is one of the most loved images of western Japan. The Small or Medium with a studio note carries well.

The piece sits well in Japandi, Minimalist Asian, and warm Wabi-sabi interiors. The Voynich layer's vermillion and deep blue picks up tatami, washi, and dark wood. It also reads cleanly against plain plaster walls.

A single Large is the usual choice over a console or low shelf. Above a full-length sofa, the four-tile Mural reads at proper scale; for a tokonoma-style feature wall, the nine-tile Mural.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any room where humidity or splashes are routine. The colour lives in the ceramic surface, beneath the finish, so steam and water do not affect it.

A microfibre cloth with water is enough for routine dusting. For kitchen grease or bathroom soap film, add a drop of mild dish soap. Avoid abrasive pads and bleach-based cleaners on any of the three finishes.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made by our family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. The art is original to Reid Wender, the curator, and is not licensed from any third party.

— if this one stayed with you

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