Wender·Vista
Ayutthaya Historical Park
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileThailand
about 80 km north of Bangkok, on an island where three rivers meet

Ayutthaya Historical Park

— — the city that was, in red brick and root.

— 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 ruins of the second capital of Siam, on an island formed by three rivers. The city was founded in 1351 and burned by a Burmese army in April 1767. What remains is brick: rows of stupas, headless stone Buddhas, one Buddha head held in the roots of a bodhi tree at Wat Mahathat. UNESCO listed the park in 1991.

from the studio
Ayutthaya Historical Park
— bring it home

Ayutthaya Historical Park, 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 Ayutthaya Historical Park

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

Ayutthaya Historical Park preserves the ruins of the second capital of the Kingdom of Siam, on an island at the confluence of the Chao Phraya, Lopburi, and Pa Sak rivers, about 80 kilometres north of Bangkok. The city was founded in 1351 by King Uthong and grew through the seventeenth century into one of the largest urban centres in the world, with population estimates near one million. A Burmese army sacked and burned the city in April 1767, ending the Ayutthaya kingdom after more than four centuries.

— the stone

What remains is brick and laterite. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the royal monastery within the palace grounds, keeps the three bell-shaped chedis that held the ashes of three Ayutthaya kings. Wat Mahathat, founded in the late fourteenth century, holds the famous sandstone Buddha head cradled in the roots of a bodhi tree. Wat Chaiwatthanaram, built in 1630 on the river's west bank, follows the cosmological plan of Angkor in Khmer Prang form. The park was inscribed by UNESCO in 1991.

— the visit

The historical park covers the central island and several outlying temples on the riverbanks. Entry is per site and combines into a six-site pass; the main cluster of Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, and Wat Ratchaburana sits within walking distance, and bicycle rentals are common at the gates. Wat Chaiwatthanaram on the western bank lights at dusk and is best seen by long-tail boat. The Chao Phraya floods of 2011 reached the park; restoration work has continued since.

— where
Thailand · Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
— within
Ayutthaya Historical Park
— elevation
4 m · 13 ft
— position
14.3535° N · 100.5679° 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.
at the lake
Wat Mahathat
temple ruin
1 km W
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
royal monastery
4 km SW
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Khmer-style temple
80 km S
Bangkok
capital city
N
Ayutthaya Historical Park
Wat Mahathat
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Bangkok
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Ayutthaya Historical Park — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Ayutthaya was founded in 1351 by King Uthong, also known as Ramathibodi I, on an island formed by the confluence of the Chao Phraya, Lopburi, and Pa Sak rivers north of present-day Bangkok.

A Burmese army sacked and burned the city in April 1767, ending the four-century Ayutthaya kingdom. The capital was later moved south to Thonburi and then to Bangkok in 1782.

The sandstone Buddha head wrapped in bodhi-tree roots is at Wat Mahathat, near the centre of the historical park. The head fell from a nearby statue and was slowly enclosed by the growing tree.

Trains run from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong and Krung Thep Aphiwat stations to Ayutthaya in about 90 minutes. Minivans and tour buses also run hourly. Some visitors arrive by river cruise along the Chao Phraya.

Yes. UNESCO inscribed the Historic City of Ayutthaya on the World Heritage List in 1991, citing the surviving brick prangs and monasteries as outstanding evidence of the Ayutthaya period.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers with Thai connections. Ayutthaya holds a particular place in Thai history, taught in every school. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The brick reds and bodhi greens of the tile suit Japandi, warm Minimalist, and quieter Maximalist rooms. The colour reads strongest against pale plaster, teak, or warm white walls.

A single Large carries a sofa wall on its own. For wider walls, a four-tile Mural reads as a single field of ruin and root; a nine-tile Mural becomes the room's anchor.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and is unaffected by steam, splash, or daily wipe-down in either room.

A soft microfibre cloth and water, or a drop of mild dish soap on stubborn spots. No abrasive scrubbers, no bleach. The surface keeps its finish for years with no maintenance beyond that.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is painted in our own visual language by Reid Wender, the curator of the atlas, and produced in our Knoxville studio. No licensing, no third-party art.

— if this one stayed with you

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