Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that literally translates to golden joinery. Traditionally it involves repairing broken objects with gold or silver lacquer. The technique highlights the repair(s) instead of hiding them.

Google further notes that Kintsugi symbolizes:

· Embracing flaws the beauty of imperfections is celebrated

· Honoring damage Damaged objects still hold value and meaning

· Fixing over discarding Encourages repair and valuing possessions

· Resilience Finding beauty in life’s cracks.

It is with this in mind that I decided to use a recent Instagram post I wrote and uploaded for this week’s blog entry.

Kintsugi in action… This Raku pottery piece was part of the Posh Cottage art collection that was in the Airbnb. One of our previous guests broke it. In all fairness they did offer to buy it until I told them the price and then they ghosted me… original one-of-a-kind art is usually not cheap. Lesson learned on my part, no more ceramic art in the Cottage. But the story does not end there… they were kind enough to save the pieces. I decided to try and repair it using the Kintsugi method.

I started out using gold mica power that came with the kit and then remembered I had actual gold leaf! I revisited what I had repaired, applying the gold leaf over it. As I worked, I realized not all the pieces were there. I went back to the Cottage to see if I missed them when I was cleanirteeng and perhaps, they were still there, no luck.

Even though I now knew it would not be a complete bowl and therefore not function as it had before, I decided to keep going. I tried to fill in one of the spaces caused by the missing piece, it sort of worked but not particularly well. So, then I had the idea to coat the broken edges with gold. This softened them and gave it a new look.

It is still obvious the bowl is broken. But I see potential in its new form… I did a little research, and it turns out Raku pottery can be used as vessels for plants! “A perfect marriage of art and nature…” what was once just something pretty to look at now has the opportunity to be a functional work of art!

I can’t help but think there too is a lesson and this bowl somehow is a metaphor for the journey I’ve been on this year. What was broken can be fixed and although it won’t be the same it has the potential of being something better!

Kintsugi: A Reflection

Garlic 2.0