To many of us, sustainability is a relatively new concept, one that’s surfaced in the last decade and continues to evolve, grow and formalize till today. The Japanese, however, have been practicing one form of sustainability through the art form of kintsugi (golden repair) or kintsukuroi (golden joinery), which dates back 400+years. Kintsugi is a pottery repair method that treasures and preserves the artifact’s unique history by emphasizing the break instead of hiding it - beauty through flaws. The artisanal Zen masters believe in the soul of these beautifully crafted items, each with their own story to tell, not only about the era but the artist who put the time and passion to create them. Damage to this items should not result in neglect or disposal, instead should be repaired with care and attention. It employs the circular economy’s tenants of repair, restore or reuse giving new life to broken objects - the start of a new story.

Kintsugi means, literally, ‘to join with gold’.

Kin = golden

tsugi = joinery

In Zen aesthetics, when a piece of ceramic is accidentally broken, the damage, instead of being concealed is meant to be celebrated. The broken pieces are joined together with tree sap lacquer (urishi) and rice glue using luxuriant gold powder.

‘Kintsugi belongs to the Zen ideals of wabi sabi, which cherishes what is simple, unpretentious and aged – especially if it has a rustic or weathered quality’. This process of symbolising a reconciliation with the flaws and accidents of time, reinforces a philosophical wisdom that is applicable to our own lives. The care and love extended to shattered pots should lend us the confidence to respect what is damaged, scarred, vulnerable and imperfect - starting with ourselves and those around us’.

*adapted from the school of life