Kintsugi: what spiritual meaning do the Japanese give it and what can we learn from it?

The ability to recover, to heal wounds without hiding them, to learn from them and to rebuild can turn a crisis into a crisis. opportunity to build something even better. It is what we are taught kintsugia japanese art to repair broken pottery that celebrates imperfections, and that can also be applied to life itself.

What is kintsugi?

The word kintsugi is derived from the Japanese words kinwhich means gold (although it can also refer to other precious metals such as silver), and tsugi, means to unite or repair. So, kintsugi could be translated as “golden repair” and that is precisely what this form of art consists of to recover and give a new life to broken pottery.

It is believed that the kintsugi was invented around the 15th centuryafter Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, break your favorite teacup and send it to China for repair. The result was not to his liking and he decided to contact Japanese artisans to fix it. In fact, pottery is very important in japanese cultureespecially in the tea ceremony (chanoyu), to which kintsugi is closely related.

In the kintsugui a special lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum powder to join or glue the different parts of the broken pottery. This lacquer, known as urushi, is obtained from the plant rhus verniciflua and not only serves as an adhesive, but also fills the cracks and reinforces the structure. The final result is a piece in which, instead of hiding or concealing the damaged parts, precious metals highlight them. In this way, the cracks or breaks come to symbolize the history and resistance of the object.

Thus, more than a technique to repair ceramics, the kintsugi is considered a form of artistic expression which is based on the idea that accept flaws and imperfections can lead to a unique and even more beautiful work of art. It embodies the idea that objects (just like people) can become even more beautiful and valuable through their experiences and transformations.

Kintsugi: Philosophical meaning

The kintsugi technique has a deep connection to Japanese philosophy and culture. It represents a very important concept in Japanese philosophy that consists of approaching moments of despair and sadness as opportunities for healing and growth. The idea of ​​rethinking difficulties and coming out stronger from them.

Kintsugi teaches to be kind to oneself, to love oneself and love your own cracks“defects” and imperfections, while helping to rethink the difficulties and come out of them stronger.

Kintsugi and wabi-sabi

The philosophy of kintsugi has similarities with the japanese philosophy of wabi-sabiwhich is based on the acceptance and appreciation of transience and of what is defective or imperfect and the natural cycle of growth and decay.

The term wabi-sabi is the combination of two interrelated aesthetic concepts: wabimake reference to live in harmony with nature in a simple way and austere, and I knew alludes to the beauty or serenity that appears over time. Thus, this aesthetic principle or way of seeing the world so rooted in Zen Buddhism appreciates the beauty and harmony of what is simple, imperfect or incomplete.

Kintsugi embodies this philosophy by celebrate the scars of an object like ceramics, seeing them as a an integral part of its history and beauty.

Kinsugi and mottainai concept

The Japanese concept of mottainaiwhich refers to regret for wasting valuable resources and the value of living in harmony with the environment, is another spiritual aspect related to kintsugi.

The mottainai is based on the belief that everything deserves respect and gratitude and therefore it is important not to splurge. Emphasizes the value of not wasting valuable resources and appreciating the inherent value of objects, even when broken or damaged.

Kintsugi aligns with this philosophy by honor the craft and valuing the history of pottery and appreciating its continued use, rather than dismissing it as useless once it has been damaged.

Kinsugi and mushin concept

The kinsugi also has links to the concept of mushin (“state of no mind”), central to Zen and Japanese martial arts, referring to a state of mind in which there are no thoughts, desires, ideas, or assumptions. Both focus on detachment, acceptance of change and destiny as aspects of human life.