The Japanese Art Of Fixing Cracked Or Broken Ceramics With Gold

Most people simply throw out broken ceramics, especially if you can't disguise the cracks. In Japan, however, those cracks are considered valued history, and the art of kintsugi, fixing broken ceramics and porcelain with gold, is catching on in the United States.

How Is Kintsugi Done?

The philosophy of kintsugi stems from embracing brokenness and repairing it. It is not intended to make pottery look new again, but to renew the spirit of history that surrounds it. You accomplish that by using gold resin to piece the pottery back together.

The procedure is actually pretty simple. You gather your broken pieces. Then you mix some epoxy with gold resin. Mix it well. The mixture needs to be homogeneous. Take a stick—this can be a craft store popsicle stick or a thin mixing skewer—and dip it in the epoxy and resin mixture. Apply it in a nice, clean line over the broken edge of your broken ceramic or porcelain.

It won't take more than a few seconds for the mixture to become tacky enough that you can hold your pottery in place for a few minutes. Then you will take your artist paintbrush, dip it in the gold resin powder (not the epoxy mixture), and brush the resin over the repaired pottery. It's up to you how much you want to use to touch up your kintsugi artistry.

Are There DIY Kits Out There?

You can get kintsugi kits with everything you need through craft and hobby stores or online. The kits are moderately priced but should last through many repair efforts, so you'll get your return on investment. It's a great hobby for both the young and old.

The Value of Kintsugi

The Japanese art of kintsugi helps remind people that the little cracks in their lives can be healed. So there's no need to pitch that broken mug that your brother gave you for Christmas. If you like restoring old pieces, you can restore items like old porcelain dolls or dishes quickly and easily.

Kintsugi is one art where there's not much of a learning curve. The only thing you'll require is the desire to restore a few pieces of cracked or broken history. It gives art appreciation new meaning and is a fun craft and hobby for all. You need to buy gold to be able to do this hobby successfully, so reach out to buyers and sellers of gold to check out your options.

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