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| Maiko, Geisha series, old print & collage |
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Maybe it's because I am broken,
but aren't most of us in some way?
I love the Japanese custom of Kintsugi!
Nothing is ever truly broken ... that's the philosophy
behind the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, which repairs
smashed pottery by using beautiful seams of gold.
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| Photo: Tom Slemmons |
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| Kintsugi detail. Photo: Matthew Tyas |
The story of Kintsugi
is said to have begun
in the 15th century
when Japanese
military commander
Ashikaga Yoshimasa
broke one of his
beloved Chinese
tea bowls and,
disappointed with
a shoddy repair job it was treated to, urged Japanese craftsmen to come up
with a more
pleasing method of repair.
Translated to “golden joinery,” Kintsugi (or Kintsukuroi,
which means “golden repair”) the centuries-old Japanese art
gives a unique appearance to broken pottery repaired
with a seam of lacquer and precious metal.
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| Painting a Kintsugi pot. Photo: Tom Slemmons |
Trust the Japanese to encapsulate the wisdom of the ages
into a single object. Theirs is a culture with an enviable talent
for clarity of both thought and communication, and with an
admirable attitude to what really matters in life.
Images & resource from BBC Four's Japan season, here.
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| Lakeside Pottery |
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Kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful
than
the original, revitalizing it with new life.
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| Photo: June's Child |
If you want more, a wonderful page explaining
the 3 predominant styles of Kintsugi:
crack, piece method, and joint-call, can be found here.
A smile for Monday ...
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| dan sha ri |
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