Kintsugi/Kitsukuroi
In Japanese, kintsugi means “golden seams” or “golden joinery” and kintsukuroi means “golden repair” or “to repair with gold” or “golden mend”. Both words mean the same thing. It is a lavish, traditional technique and art form of repairing or mending broken ceramics and pottery with lacquer resin mixed with gold, silver or platinum.
The kintsugi technique may have been invented around the fifteenth century, when Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate after breaking his favorite cup of tea sent it to China to get it repaired. It seemed that the cup was irreparable but its owner decided to try to have some Japanese craftsmen repair it. They decided to transform the cup into a jewel by filling its cracks with lacquered resin and powdered gold. The legend seems plausible because the invention of kintsugi is set in a very fruitful era for art in Japan.
Kitsukuroi has a deeper philosophical significance as well; the mended flaws become part of the object’s design. The cracks in an object are viewed simply as events and rather than allowing its service to end because of the damage or breakage or replacing it with another object, it is repaired with care in such a way that acknowledges and beautifies the breakage. It suggests that we shouldn’t throw something or someone away just because it may be broken. If an object has been broken then it has more history and it should be celebrated.
Whether you’re going through the loss, or in recovery, divorce or other personal tragedy, Kintsugi can be a way to re-frame hardships to remind yourself that you’re not a victim of your circumstances — and to help you come out the other side stronger.
In Japanese philosophy there exists the idea of “wabi-sabi,” the act of embracing the flawed or the imperfect and finding beauty in broken or old things. Kintsugi highlights the cracks rather than hiding them.
It can be a symbol of:
- The human experience
- Resilience and renewal
- Strength
- Ability to adapt
- Commitment
- Acceptance and Embracing the imperfect
- Striving for a better self
- We are all connected
- Less is more
- It’s never too late
- Overcoming mental illness
The Personal Meanings Behind My 4th Tattoo (July 2018):
- This tattoo shows that I am strong and even though I've been broken, continue to strive to put myself back together as a stronger, better version.
- I continue to work towards growing and being the best that I can be and this fluid colored and fluid shaped, very open and obvious tattoo represents that ongoing path of improvement.
- This tattoo was supposed to represent the relationship with my brothers and has evolved to be very personal to me and how my past has shaped who I want to be.
- Represents the relationship with my two younger brothers
- Red because our last name, our hair color, and one brothers favorite color; purple for my favorite color; blue for the other brother’s favorite color
- The forearm represents the capacity to start doing something, holding on to reality, reaching goals
- The left represents receiving and yin (or feminine) as well as the arm the flows directly into my heart
- A heart because there is no one I’m closer to or care more deeply for than my brothers and I wear my heart on my sleeve for them and they are what keeps me alive and I also guard their hearts and strive to protect them
- Two shatter points: one for each brother
- This is thus far my most visible tattoo as well as most colorful
Sources:
https://onbeing.org/blog/omid-safi-illuminating-the-beauty-in-our-broken-places/
https://mymodernmet.com/kintsugi-kintsukuroi/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-centuries-old-japanese-tradition-mending-broken-ceramics-gold
https://medium.com/@BoushraDalile/kintsukuroi-suffering-and-love-2cef2f9bc306
https://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/kintsugi
In Japanese, kintsugi means “golden seams” or “golden joinery” and kintsukuroi means “golden repair” or “to repair with gold” or “golden mend”. Both words mean the same thing. It is a lavish, traditional technique and art form of repairing or mending broken ceramics and pottery with lacquer resin mixed with gold, silver or platinum.
The kintsugi technique may have been invented around the fifteenth century, when Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate after breaking his favorite cup of tea sent it to China to get it repaired. It seemed that the cup was irreparable but its owner decided to try to have some Japanese craftsmen repair it. They decided to transform the cup into a jewel by filling its cracks with lacquered resin and powdered gold. The legend seems plausible because the invention of kintsugi is set in a very fruitful era for art in Japan.
Kitsukuroi has a deeper philosophical significance as well; the mended flaws become part of the object’s design. The cracks in an object are viewed simply as events and rather than allowing its service to end because of the damage or breakage or replacing it with another object, it is repaired with care in such a way that acknowledges and beautifies the breakage. It suggests that we shouldn’t throw something or someone away just because it may be broken. If an object has been broken then it has more history and it should be celebrated.
Whether you’re going through the loss, or in recovery, divorce or other personal tragedy, Kintsugi can be a way to re-frame hardships to remind yourself that you’re not a victim of your circumstances — and to help you come out the other side stronger.
In Japanese philosophy there exists the idea of “wabi-sabi,” the act of embracing the flawed or the imperfect and finding beauty in broken or old things. Kintsugi highlights the cracks rather than hiding them.
It can be a symbol of:
- The human experience
- Resilience and renewal
- Strength
- Ability to adapt
- Commitment
- Acceptance and Embracing the imperfect
- Striving for a better self
- We are all connected
- Less is more
- It’s never too late
- Overcoming mental illness
The Personal Meanings Behind My 4th Tattoo (July 2018):
- This tattoo shows that I am strong and even though I've been broken, continue to strive to put myself back together as a stronger, better version.
- I continue to work towards growing and being the best that I can be and this fluid colored and fluid shaped, very open and obvious tattoo represents that ongoing path of improvement.
- This tattoo was supposed to represent the relationship with my brothers and has evolved to be very personal to me and how my past has shaped who I want to be.
- Represents the relationship with my two younger brothers
- Red because our last name, our hair color, and one brothers favorite color; purple for my favorite color; blue for the other brother’s favorite color
- The forearm represents the capacity to start doing something, holding on to reality, reaching goals
- The left represents receiving and yin (or feminine) as well as the arm the flows directly into my heart
- A heart because there is no one I’m closer to or care more deeply for than my brothers and I wear my heart on my sleeve for them and they are what keeps me alive and I also guard their hearts and strive to protect them
- Two shatter points: one for each brother
- This is thus far my most visible tattoo as well as most colorful
Sources:
https://onbeing.org/blog/omid-safi-illuminating-the-beauty-in-our-broken-places/
https://mymodernmet.com/kintsugi-kintsukuroi/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-centuries-old-japanese-tradition-mending-broken-ceramics-gold
https://medium.com/@BoushraDalile/kintsukuroi-suffering-and-love-2cef2f9bc306
https://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/kintsugi
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