Kintsugi
Kintsugi embodies sustainability
Regarded as both a craft and an art form, kintsugi is a centuries-old Japanese technique for repairing broken ceramics. The term kintsugi means “gold seams,” a process involving patching chips, cracks and shards with lacquer and powdered gold. Japanese lacquer, made from refined lacquer tree sap, is a natural resin with durable, water-resistant adhesive properties. This is used to fill in and re-join damaged areas, which are then dusted with powdered gold—literally illuminating the repair, rather than hiding it. Indeed, kintsugi restorations are intended to highlight flaws and draw attention to the beauty that lies in imperfection—a reflection of Japanese aesthetics.
While lacquer was used to join pieces of broken earthenware as early as some 9,000 years ago, the origins of kintsugi are thought to have sprung from the repair of precious ware used in the tea ceremony, which become popular around the fifteenth century. Kintsugi evolved beyond the simple mending of a broken vessel into the creation of new and unique artistic forms, and came to be appreciated as a way of honoring the history and emotional value of a cherished teacup or bowl.
The specialized, time-intensive kintsugi process takes months to complete and is carried out by a lacquer artist or professional kintsugi craftsman—yet its influence has expanded beyond traditional applications. In recent years, kintsugi has been incorporated into the practice of some contemporary artists and, as it gains wider recognition both in Japan and overseas, the trend has sparked a global market for simplified home kits and workshops. While kintsugi is unique to Japan, the concept is now being applied not only to ceramics, but to glass, jewelry and even furniture around the world, thus infusing a distinctively Japanese aesthetic into otherwise unrelated objects.
The embodiment of sustainability, kintsugi is a subtle response to society’s consumerism, in that it avoids waste by extending the life of vessels, particularly those that may have personal meaning. Furthermore, as kintsugi draws greater awareness, its embrace of imperfection has also become a metaphor for resilience and recovery.
