kintsukuroi

Kintsukuroi, also spelled kintsugi or kintsukuroi, is a traditional Japanese technique for repairing broken pottery. The repair uses lacquer resin, typically urushi, mixed with powdered precious metals such as gold, or dusted with metal powders, to join and adorn the cracks. Rather than conceal damage, the technique highlights the breakage as part of the piece’s history and beauty.

The process generally involves cleaning and reassembling the fragments, bonding them with lacquer, and filling the seams with the lacquer-metal mixture. Multiple coats are applied and allowed to cure, then the repaired surface may be polished to emphasize the shimmering lines. While gold is common, silver or platinum may also be used. Some contemporary approaches combine traditional methods with modern adhesives, but traditional kintsugi emphasizes the visual emphasis of the repairs.

Historically, kintsukuroi developed in Japan during the late Muromachi to Edo periods and is linked to broader wabi-sabi aesthetics, which value imperfection and transience. The repaired objects are read as new, enriched histories rather than simply restored to their original state. The practice has influenced modern art, design, and philosophy, becoming a symbol of resilience, renewal, and beauty arising from damage.

Variants exist, and the terminology can vary; some distinguish kintsuki as the technique and kintsukuroi as the philosophy, while others use the terms interchangeably. Traditional pieces call for urushi lacquer, which can cause allergic reactions, so many modern adaptations use safer materials.