Wender·Vista
Nouadhibou
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileMauritania
on the long peninsula at Mauritania's northern coast, the Atlantic on one side and the desert on the other

Nouadhibou

— — a harbour the desert leans against.

— 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 port city at the tip of the Cap Blanc peninsula, where the Sahara reaches the Atlantic. Mauritania's second city and its commercial harbour. The bay holds one of the largest ship graveyards in the world; the iron-ore train from Zouérat comes in from the interior in carriages long enough to take a full minute to pass. Fishermen work the cold Canary Current offshore. The light is hard, the air is dry, and the colour of the water changes by the hour.

from the studio
Nouadhibou
— bring it home

Nouadhibou, 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 Nouadhibou

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

Nouadhibou is the second-largest city in Mauritania and its principal commercial port, with a population of about 120,000. It occupies the eastern shore of the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula, a narrow tongue of land that runs south from the Western Saharan border between the Atlantic and the broad Bay of Nouadhibou. The city was founded as Port-Étienne under French colonial administration in 1907 and renamed at independence. Iron ore from the mines at Zouérat, more than 700 kilometres inland, reaches the port by the Mauritania Railway and is shipped out from a deep-water loading pier south of the city.

— the water

The Bay of Nouadhibou is shallow, broad and exceptionally rich in fish, set on the cold Canary Current that runs south along the West African coast. Mauritanian waters are among the most productive fishing grounds in the Atlantic, and Nouadhibou is the working centre of that industry. The bay is also known for one of the largest concentrations of abandoned vessels in the world; for decades, hulls of every size were left to settle in the shallows, and dozens are still visible above the water line. A clean-up campaign has been underway since 2001 and many wrecks have been removed.

— the visit

Nouadhibou is reached by air from Nouakchott, by paved road north from the capital, and by the iron-ore train from the interior. The Mauritania Railway is famous among travellers for the option of riding free on top of an empty ore wagon for the roughly 700-kilometre return run from Zouérat, a trip of around twelve to twenty hours through the western Sahara. Most visitors arrange the city portion through a local guide; Mauritanian visas can be obtained on arrival at the airport for many nationalities. Banc d'Arguin National Park, a UNESCO site of major importance for migrating shorebirds, lies to the south of the bay.

— where
Mauritania · Dakhlet Nouadhibou Region
— position
20.9333° N · 17.0333° W
— 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
Ras Nouadhibou
Atlantic cape
150 km S
Banc d'Arguin National Park
UNESCO coastal park
N
Nouadhibou
Ras Nouadhibou
Banc d'Arguin National Park
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Nouadhibou sits on the eastern shore of the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula in northwestern Mauritania, on the Atlantic coast just south of the Western Saharan border. It is the country's second-largest city and its main commercial port.

It was founded as Port-Étienne under French colonial administration in 1907 as a fishing and supply post on the Cap Blanc peninsula. It was renamed Nouadhibou at Mauritanian independence in 1960 and has grown around fishing and the iron-ore trade since.

The Mauritania Railway runs from the iron mines at Zouérat, more than 700 kilometres inland, to a deep-water loading pier at Nouadhibou. Trains can exceed two and a half kilometres in length, among the longest in the world by load.

For decades, vessels were abandoned in the shallow, sheltered Bay of Nouadhibou and left to settle into the sand. The resulting ship graveyard was once among the largest on earth. A clean-up programme has been underway since 2001 and has removed many hulls.

Banc d'Arguin National Park, south of Nouadhibou along the coast, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important wintering grounds for migratory shorebirds in the eastern Atlantic. It is reached by guided trip from the city.

The city is served by Nouadhibou International Airport with flights from Nouakchott and a few other regional capitals. Paved road links it south to the Mauritanian capital, and the iron-ore train links it east to Zouérat.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for Mauritanian-heritage families and for travellers who have ridden the iron-ore train. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note carries the harbour and the desert light well.

The Atlantic blues against ochre desert tones read well in warm Minimalist, North African Modern and Jewel-tone Maximalist rooms. The piece sits naturally beside woven jute, dark wood and lime-washed walls.

Yes. Earth-toned ceramic art with a strong coastal anchor has carried steadily through the current warm-minimalist and desert-modern cycles. Nouadhibou gives the room a real working harbour rather than a generic seascape.

A single Large reads cleanly above a console or a narrow sofa. Above a full sofa a four-tile Mural opens the bay out; for a longer dining wall, the nine-tile Mural carries the view.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any room with steam or splatter. Both are scratch-resistant and hold up to daily cleaning; the Glossy finish is best reserved for dry framed display.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh cleansers; the colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a thin protective finish and asks for very little.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made in our family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, under the eye of Reid Wender. The artwork is not licensed and is not sold through any other studio or print house.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.