Kintsugi

Kintsugi (Japanese金 継ぎ, dt " gold compound - patch" ) or, more rarely Kintsukuroi (金 繕い, " gold service " ) is a traditional Japanese repair method for ceramics. Ceramic or porcelain fragments are stuck with Urushi lacquer, missing shards are supplemented with an applied in several layers urushi putty, in the finest powder gold or other metals such as silver and platinum is sprinkled. Based on scatter plots ( maki -e) characteristic of Kintsugi decoration effects arise.

History

Against the background of the more spreading Zen Buddhism of the 16th century, developed in Japan, at the instigation of some tea master, despite the opposition of the wealthy class that ran the tea ceremony as a tradition for the demonstration of gloss and luxury, a new aesthetic principle - Wabi Sabi. The Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic ranges from a metaphysical basis about spiritual values, moral rules through to material quality, which is reflected in the art of tea expression and affects many areas of art and culture. The simplicity and the toleration of defectiveness are at the center of this view. Against this background, Kintsugi developed - the gold compound that highlights the flaw.