What do we do when something very dear to us, some beautiful memory, breaks? Do we try to fix the broken or do we throw it away? Or maybe we keep the broken? Do we give up too quickly, look for something new immediately, or do we put in the effort and persevere until we mend the object again?
The Japanese tradition nurtures kintsugi, which literally means “golden joints”, or kintsukuroi, “golden repair”, the art of repairing broken pottery by joining the parts at the site of the break using lacquer mixed with some precious metal powder – gold, silver, or platinum.
The Japanese shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa
How did kintsugi originate?
Although there are several theories about the origin of this art closely related to the Japanese tea ceremony, it is most commonly associated with a Japanese shogun who lived in the 15th century in Kyoto.
According to that source, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa once broke his favorite teacup and sent it to China for Chinese craftsmen to repair it. Today it would be exaggerated to send pieces to China just for repair, so it is believed that this story is more of a legend. to send the broken cups to another country for repair. However, in order to better understand the spirit of that time and what was important to Ashikagi and his contemporaries, we must first understand why tea, and therefore a broken tea cup, had such significance.
In Japan, tea was already associated with an extremely important traditional ceremony (chanoyu) during Ashikagi’s time. It involved special rooms for tea preparation and consumption, ritual rules that had to be followed for the ceremony to be successful, as well as special utensils such as a teapot and cups. It was a precious moment of peace, dedicated time for self-reflection, but also an opportunity to connect with friends. Meticulous attention was given to every detail, giving rise to a unique aesthetic in the tea ceremony.
Unhappy with the Chinese cup returning with unsightly metal connectors, he sought a solution from Japanese artisans and artists. Knowing how much the shogun appreciated beautiful things, and further motivated by his determination to save the cup, they decided try something new. The cracks between ceramic pieces are filled with lacquer resin and gold powder, thus emphasizing the place of fracture and turning it into an integral part of the cup that gives it additional beauty and value.
Shogun Yoshimasa was a prominent figure in the history of Japan. Although unsuccessful in warfare and military actions, he is remembered as a shogun of exceptional artistic sensitivity. He is mentioned as a central figure in the development of the Higashiyama artistic movement, which is considered as the foundation of contemporary Japanese art and shaped the distinctive Japanese view of beauty as something refined and restrained. This art, strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism, nurtured tea ceremony (chado), flower arrangement (ikebana), classical Japanese dance drama (no drama), and ink painting (sumi-e).
Kintsugi soon gained a large number of admirers, so wealthy people would sometimes intentionally break valuable ceramic objects in order to have them repaired with golden. m of fools. Just one anecdote remains recorded about it. Sen no Rikyu, the master of tea ceremony and advocate of the wabi-sabi philosophy that celebrates imperfections, attended a dinner held in his honor by a wealthy host. The host boasted about an expensive tea bowl from China that captivated the attention of all the guests, enjoying compliments on his refined taste. Sen no Rikyu, on the other hand, watched a branch swaying in the wind through the window and conversed with other guests, paying no attention to the praised tea bowl. When Sen no Rikyu left the feast, the host, enraged by his indifference, angrily broke the tea vessel. The gathered guests collected the broken fragments of the object and sent them for repair using the kintsugi technique. When Sen no Rikyu visited the same host again, he saw the old tea bowl in a new attire and was thrilled by it.
Philosophy of Kintsugi
Kintsugi is not just an art or a technique for repairing objects, but there is a profound symbolism hidden This is a living philosophy. Kintsugi emerged from the feeling of regret that arises when something precious and dear to us is lost, and from the need to accept the changes we face (mushin). That is why the joints of the broken ceramics are painted with motifs of nature – rivers, streams – which are meant to remind us that change is always present and the only certainty, as Heraklit also said. If entire, seemingly solid mountain ranges can transform under the influence of time, what is left for us humans but to bravely and consciously face the changes that time inevitably brings.
Japanese aesthetics value the signs of usage and wearing out of objects. Objects become more refined thanks to their perishability. Cracks and repairs are considered a simple and logical sequence of events in the life of an object.
The technique of kintsugi in action
When all the broken or chipped pieces are found, the place of the break is then joined using lacquer or resin, with the application of a thin layer of powdered gold or silver. The mixture itself is made of a noble metal powder. This mixture functions as a glue that fills in the fine cracks. If all the broken pieces of the ceramic cannot be found, then the missing piece is completely filled with this mixture, which then serves not only as a glue but also as a building material for the object being restored.
However, as simple as it may seem at first glance, the repair of larger and finer ceramic pieces by true kintsugi masters can take up to a month, as the technique requires precision in the process and patience during the drying of the joints.
British artist Billie Bond, inspired by the philosophy of kintsugi, portrays both human fragility and strength in her works.
Not only does she not attempt to conceal the damage, but the repair is literally illuminated, a physical expression of the spirit of mushin. Mushin is often literally translated as “no mind,” but it carries connotations of complete presence in the moment, detachment, and calmness amid change. In the field of ceramics (…) Changes in existence over time, to which all people are susceptible, could not be clearer than in the cracking, chipping, and breaking that ceramic dishes are also subject to. Christy Bartlett, Flickwerk: The Aesthetics of Mended Japanese Ceramics.
Each of us is struck and broken by something in life. What do we do with the brokenness inside ourselves, with the cracked relationships and connections? It is necessary to accept the broken as opportunities that relentlessly come to us until we express a new quality hidden in the foundations of our being.
The philosophy of kintsugi reminds us that the traces of battles and the passage of time do not diminish enthusiasm, but on the contrary, ignite it if we transform our weaknesses into a golden powder of experience. Perhaps that is why wrinkles on someone’s face fit so well with the sparkle in their eyes.