Monday, September 25, 2017

Day 1887: A beautiful philosophy, I think.







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.



Photo: Tom Slemmons


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. 


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.


Lakeside Pottery 
Kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful 
than the original, revitalizing it with new life.

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 ...


dan sha ri




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