Tag Archives: kintsugi

Word-built world: kintsugi

(Image from lakesidepottery.com)

Here’s the whole Google response:

Kintsugi is the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using a special tree-sap lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Instead of hiding the cracks, this method highlights them to celebrate an object’s unique history and scars. [1234

Philosophy and Meaning 

  • Wabi-sabi: Finding beauty in things that are imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. 
  • Mottainai: Feeling regret when something is wasted, leading to the reuse or repair of items. 
  • Life lesson: Teaching us that our own wounds and repairs make us stronger and more valuable rather than broken. [2356

Repair Methods 

  • Crack method: Using gold dust and lacquer to glue clean breaks and hairline cracks back together. 
  • Piece method: Filling a missing missing chunk or hole entirely with gold and lacquer resin. 
  • Joint-call method: Using a mismatched piece from another broken object to patch a hole, creating a unique hybrid item. [3

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

[2] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nPf1nGoBbXw

[3] https://mymodernmet.com/kintsugi-kintsukuroi/

[4] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wRGDAsTpBKs

[5] https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/living-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-mci/newsfeed-post/the-japanese-art-form-of-kintsugi-embracing-the-imperfections-of-life/

[6] https://kintsugivillage.org/why-kintsugi/

(Contributed by Michael Kelly, H.W.)