Kintsugi represents the Japanese respect for age and also the recognition of well-made ceramics that, in the history of handling by admirers, have been damaged. If a treasured object is broken, fix it and create a new object with its own beauty without anxiety over the transition from the original. It is esteemed as wabi-sabi, the acceptance of transience, of appreciating beauty that is imperfect, fleeting, and changing over time. As in nature, so too in art. It demonstrates economy, modesty, and austerity, a no-waste ethos. Wabi-sabi is observed in many forms of Japanese art. Kintsugi also represents mushin (Mu) or Zen ‘no mind,’ which in this context means the absence of attachment: there is no ‘self’ to which to be attached.
The repair is direct and elegant. Cracks are filled, and broken pieces are reassembled, using; first, urushi (lacquer) that fills the gap between the two surfaces, functioning as glue. Then, while still moist (as in maki-e), usually gold powder is sprinkled on the lacquer, thus covering it and leaving a neat path or spot of gold behind. It is itself appealing and highlights the now invisible original flaw in gold. The gold itself is usually applied to follow the original shape of the object, so it is still recognizable, but now gold tracery adds to its appeal. It is important that the original should have already been interesting and, following the kintsugi lines, its interest and appeal are heightened.
