Japanese aesthetics have always been a dear teacher for me. Admired not only for their quality but possibly more due to the philosophy that is organically attached to them.
Kintsugi means…
golden joinery and is the Japanese art form of repairing broken pottery with gold or silver lacquer.
As a philosophy it celebrates, in a way, imperfection.
Most of us will throw away an object after it is damaged. Not to mention people or animals; when broken and out of their ‘use”…
There is a way though, to embrace the breakage and the process of repair (healing) as well.
To view them simply as another fact of the ever changing human life, the aplanis theoria.
To compassionately see the scars and not disguise them but wear them proudly…
For me, that is Kintsugi.
Ανέκαθεν ήμουν θαυμαστής και μαθητής ταυτόχρονα, της Ιαπωνικής αισθητικής & κυρίως της φιλοσοφίας που αυτή υπονοεί.
Kintsugi σημαίνει η ενέργεια της χρυσής ένωσης & είναι η Ιαπωνική τέχνη της επισκευής σπασμένων κεραμικών με λάκα χρυσού ή ασημιού.
Ως φιλοσοφία ανδεικνύει την αποδοχή της συνεχούς αλλαγής και της ατέλειας της ανθρώπινης ζωής, η απλανής θεωρία.
Οι περισσότεροι από εμάς θα πετάξουν κάτι όταν αυτό δεν είναι πια “χρήσιμο” – και δεν αναφέρομαι μόνο σε αντικείμενα αλλά και σε ανθρώπους και σε ζώα.
Η διαφορετική οδός όμως, αγκαλιάζει την μη τέλεια συναρμογή, το σπάσιμο και την επιδιόρθωση (θεραπεία) του.
Η ομορφιά του αντικειμένου πλέον βρίσκεται επαυξημένη στην κατανόηση ότι ενώ δεν είναι “τέλειο” ή “χρήσιμο” πια, δεν είναι “για πέταμα” αλλά πιο όμορφο από ποτέ.
Η συμπόνοια με την οποία αντικρύζεις τις ουλές και όχι μόνο δεν τις κρύβεις αλλά τις “φοράς” περήφανα…
Για μένα, αυτό είναι το Kintsugi.
Chinese pottery, broken and healed 13 x 15 cm.
inSPIRAtion 
Dear Spira, thanks to you I learnt more about the meaning of Kintsugi. These few minutes I spent reading what you have to share were not only well invested but certainly not regreted.
Your own example of Kintsugi looks like an object which has been given a new purpose. That’s what I like about artists who can take an old, seemingly useless object and breathe new life into it.
How curious is the life on this Earthly plane… Thank you for this meditative moment spent on your page.
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Dear Kristiae, someone said that synchronicity is the way of God to remain anonymous…I feel that it happened for both of us; maybe the message conveyed by Kintsugi was something you needed that exact time & for me the unpretentious truth of your comment finds me in a moment of inner struggle to keep on the path and was that gentle touch needed to get back on my feet.
So, Thank you!
A main reason I try and match the first track at the music section with the latest creation is exactly the aim to the meditative experience you’ve described. Some use it, some don’t…and as you said “curious is the life on this Earthly plane…”
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This is amazing. Adds more to the mug, in my opinion. Amazing post, amazing idea.
Thank you for sharing this.
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Thank you namenews. Imagine the difference in our lives if each one of us applied that philosophy to one object,then one plant, then one animal, then one person. How many parts of Earth would heal…
Be always well and present namenews.
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I love this art-form, it is so inspiring! When I see your example, I think of a plant potter now that it has been brought back to life. I see a desk bamboo growing in it, set in the creative place to bring positive energy. Thank you for sharing this! This is not the first time I have seen this done in pictures, however I have never had the pleasure of seeing it in person. I hope one day to be able to mend something dear to me, were it to break, in this fashion. Thank you for the post!
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I am glad my view of Kintsugi inspired you. I also hope your wish to be granted Victoria. (But something tells me that through your activity in life you maybe doing that without even realizing it; and that is the magic of being present at what you do).
Thank you for “sacrificing” your precious time to stop by here and share your sincere thoughts. I really appreciate it.
May you & your loved ones be always well.
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Hey Nick!
It’s me, clark, commenting from eight years in your future*!
Great post re: my future post about a mug for the years.
I had it (the one in my post today) since college.
I’d love to say it’s my Dorian Grey mug but to be accurate, I’d cite a certain myth told of two boys born at the same time at opposite ends of fortune, but tied in a parallel trajectory mirroring the other in a reverse… or something**.
Anyway, when the mug broke back, (for me), in 2017, I called potters and pottery makers but they all said it could not be re-glazed. So I went with Superglue.
Damn, shoulda thought about precious metals.
Anyway, Gotta run!
(No! Not to worry. Nothing global
ha ha)
*Dude! Not worry! The world doesn’t end, your blog remains actively online and… we’ll maybe alternating your choice of transportation… a scooch biased towards four wheels… that’s all I can say,)
** way long trip to cleversville One of my favorite authors, oe Haldeman wrote a modern re-telling… now where the hell was I?
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Well, Clark, if someone had to break the space/time continuum that’s got to be you.
See! We were connected before we even knew that!
Transportation…I hear ya…but my horse is my mistress! Even if its parked at my garage.
Glad to see you, time traveler!
Happy trails!
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