Kintsugi – Aesthetics of Flaw

Are you familiar with the Japanese repair technique Kintsugi ? We recently became aware of it and realized what a wonderful philosophy of preservation and conservation lies behind it.

Literally, Kintsugi means "gold bonding"—in the sense of "repairing with gold." Broken pieces of ceramic or porcelain are reassembled using the special Urushi lacquer, and flawed areas such as gaps or cracks are artfully finished with putty previously enriched with gold or another precious metal, such as silver or platinum.

Behind this lies an entire art form and a wonderful philosophy that focuses on the permanence of things and the appreciation of signs of life. Kintsugi emphasizes and refines the flaw of brokenness through a gold connection. This gives the formerly broken object a new and unique value.

In this country, repairing things is usually about restoring their original condition. When repairing, people often try to make things as invisible as possible—because they are perceived as flaws and thus have negative connotations. This is precisely where the subtle difference lies: Kintsugi creates a completely new aesthetic and creates a beauty that wasn't even there before.

We find this way of thinking very appealing. Of course, we also see parallels with our natural leather : Growth marks and traces of life are also imperfections, but they make this leather even more valuable to true connoisseurs. After all, these traces bear witness to life outdoors. And it is the patina that develops on the surface of the leather over time that tells its individual life story.

Reading tip: If you would like to see beautiful photos from a Kintsugi workshop and read more background information about this tradition, you can find a great article by Aki Watanabe on Houzz.

Video tip: The following video from the University of Oxford provides insights into the Pitt Rivers Museum . It's definitely worth watching!