What is the Kintsugi ? Discover its history, its technique and its symbols

Kintsugi, the art of resilience...

This ancient technique, discovered in the fifteenth century in Japan, invites us to repair a broken object by enhancing its scars with real gold powder, instead of trying to hide them.

The word Kintsugi comes from the Japanese Kin (gold) and Tsugi (join), and therefore literally means: join with gold. The art of Kintsugi is called Kintsukuroi, meaning "mending with gold".

This is a long and extremely accurate repairing process, with many steps, taking several weeks or even months. It is even said that it sometimes takes a whole year to achieve the best Kintsugi...

This bowl is transformed by the technique of the Kintsugi, which highlights with gold knuckles its history and the trials it has traversed.

The Kintsugi , which literally means "gold joinery", is an ancient Japanese art that invites to repair a broken object by emphasizing its scars with gold powder

The Kintsugi technique, step by step

The shards of the broken object are first assembled one by one, then cleaned, and glued with a traditional natural lacquer from the lacquer tree. The object is set to dry and then sanded.

Then its cracks are underlined by successive lacquer layers and, finally, sprinkled with gold, or any other metal powder (silver, bronze, brass, copper...), which, mingling intimately with the moist lacquer, gives the illusion of flowing metal.

Then the gold scars are burnished. The object can then emerge and sparkle.

The different stages of the creation of a Kintsugi

The different stages of the realization of a Kintsugi © Myriam Greff

The legend of the creation of the 1st Kintsugi

The legend has it that the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1435-1490) always used his favourite bowl ("Chawan") for the tea ceremony. One day, unfortunately, he broke it. So he sent it back to China, where it came from, to get repaired.

However, he was extremely disappointed with the result: after long months, the bowl returned with nasty metal staples which not only disfigured it, but, in addition, made it absolutely not watertight.

He therefore instructed his Japanese craftsmen to find a more functional and aesthetic solution : the Art of Kintsugi was born...

Repair with nasty staples, before the invention of Kintsugi

The staples repair technique, which invited to find a better solution and gave birth to the art of Kintsugi... © Myriam Greff

A very popular art

What an elegant, creative, yet obvious solution all at the same time ! Most people who discover the art of Kintsugi for the first time have a real epiphany.

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So it's very high on demand. It is even said that the art of Kintsugi is so popular that some aesthetes deliberately break their precious vases or bowls to transform them...

The Kintsugi Invites you to transform your share of shadow and bring it to light...

Put gold in your life, discover the spirit of the Kintsugi...

The symbolism of the Kintsugi as a current of thought

But the kintsugi philosophy goes well beyond a simple artistic practice... It is in touch with the symbolic of healing and resilience. Cared for, then honored, the broken object assumes its past, and becomes paradoxically more resilient, more beautiful and more precious than before the shock.

The Kintsugi as a symbolic healing therapy

This metaphor illuminates in a new way every step of any healing process, whether it is a physical injury, or emotional...

Voici un joli film anime, très poétique, créé par la Younique Foundation, that supports women victims of abuse. This sensitive and delicate film embodies the soul of Kintsugi and resilience. It talks about hope and healing, even after a very big injury...

The Kintsugi is a beautiful metaphor of life, to learn how to get up despite the trials.

Like a living Kintsugi, you too can transform your ordeals.

Without going so far as to break all your valuables, the philosophy of Kintsugi can accompany you throughout your healing process, until you find again your own unit and all your Shine.

Learn more about the book

Feel free to consult the site esprit-kintsugi.com

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