The Japanese have a long tradition of repairing broken ceramics with a lacquer resin mixed with genuine gold powder. It's called 'Kintsugi' or 'Kintsukuroi' meaning ''golden joinery'' in Japanese. It is said that the story of Kintsugi may have begun in the late 15th century, when the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent a damaged Chinese tea bowl back to China to be fixed. It returned held together with ugly metal staples, inspiring Japanese craftsmen to seek a new form of repair that could make the broken piece look as good as new, or better. It is said that Japanese collectors acquired such a taste for Kintsugi that some were accused of deliberately breaking prized ceramic pieces in order to have them repaired in gold.
The Japanese believe that when something has suffered damage and has history, it becomes more beautiful and more precious than before. This old Japanese tradition teaches one to cherish imperfection rather than masking it. To see the beauty and value in imperfection where previously we would have only seen detritus is something I feel is incredibly special. To put into question and shift the perspective of what beauty means. Perhaps we are less ruthless in our approach to damaged and broken things and in turn, more gentle in our approach to those around us who feel damaged or experience brokenness.
1 comment:
Need more japanese friends. I have lots of broken things that need to be turned into phenomenal works of art.
Post a Comment