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Kintsugi
The Art of Repair
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese technique for repairing broken ceramics with urushi and decorating the repaired areas with gold powder.
It is part of Japan’s broader urushi art tradition, combining urushitsugi techniques with maki-e.
Because kintsugi uses only natural materials, the restored vessel can be used again for serving food and drink.
Kintsugi allows the damaged areas of a vessel to be embraced as part of its new keshiki—its visual landscape and character. In this way, an object filled with personal memories can return to daily life, continue to be appreciated, and be passed on to the next generation.
Learn more about kintsugi (Coming soon)
Urushi
The Essential Material of Kintsugi
Urushi is the natural sap of the urushi tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum).
In Japan, the use of urushi can be traced back approximately 9,000 years. Over time, it has been used for adhesion, filling, coating, waterproofing, and decoration.
Its adhesive strength is sufficient to join ceramic fragments and return a vessel to use. Because urushi is a natural material, vessels repaired with urushi can once again be used for serving food and drink.
In kintsugi, urushi is the central material. It is used at every stage of the repair process: joining broken fragments, filling chips, rebuilding missing areas, adding water resistance, and binding gold powder to the repaired surface.
Kintsugica is committed to the use of Japanese urushi and to supporting the urushi fields in Japan that sustain this traditional material.
Learn more about urushi (Coming soon)
Maki-e
The Art of Gold Powder Decoration
Maki-e is a Japanese decorative technique in which gold powder or other metal powders are applied using urushi as the binding medium.
Its origins are often traced to the Nara period, and many forms of maki-e developed especially from the Heian period onward. Historically, maki-e has been used primarily to decorate *shikki—Japanese wooden ware coated with urushi.
In kintsugi, the urushi used for joining broken fragments and filling chips cures to a dark brown color. The surface is then refined and made water-resistant with urushi mixed with pigment, traditionally black or red. When the repair is finished in this state, it is called urushitsugi.
When the repaired surface is further decorated with metal powder, the technique of maki-e is applied. If gold powder is used, the repair is called kintsugi. If silver powder is used, it is called gintsugi.
*Shikki refers primarily to Japanese wooden ware coated with urushi. It is often translated as lacquerware.
Learn more about maki-e (Coming soon)
