Kintsugi

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'Kintsugi' is a word that I accidentally jumped upon, and as my nature always persuades me to dig into new words, I researched on this one too. Amazed by the theory it represents, I decided to share it with all of you, who spare few minutes to read my post.

Kintsugi means "to join with gold". Its roots lie in the Japanese culture and is a practice that has been in this rich culture for more than 500 years now. It won't be an exaggeration if I call it an art. The word Kintsugi comes from the Japanese Kin (gold) and Tsugi (join), and therefore literally means: golden joinery. The art of Kintsugi is called Kintsukuroi, meaning “mending with gold”.  In Kintsugi, if you accidentally break any piece of pottery (ceramics), it is joined using gold. It is a patient procedure. The restoration will take upto three months. The broken pieces are joined together using lacquer (the sap of the lacquer tree used as a varnish) and allowed to dry. Later gold is run through the cracks thus actually joining the cracks surely, but at the same time highlighting the cracks rather than hiding it. It is believed it actually makes the broken piece more valuable than before.

Now, the most interesting part - this beautiful art teaches us two important qualities of life: one, patience and second, accepting your flaws. Patience because you have to be calm when your favourite piece of pottery has broken. You will also need patience to restore it. Secondly, the restoration doesn't hide cracks instead highlights it in golden colour. It is acceptance - acceptance of flaws, accepting nothing is permanent and above all it teaches optimism. Optimism - how to gather yourself together when you are broken, shattered. How to join the pieces of your self with gold and come back again proudly accepting your flaws. It is holding youself together strong when you are broken into pieces. I also feel it teaches you that only you and you alone can join the broken pieces together.

In this fast world, where replacement is easier than mending, Kintsugi comes as a reminder, that replacement is not solution for everything. Many things will need repair. I feel the more we study about this technique the more we shall learn about its extraordinary lessons of life.

What a wonderful art! What a beautiful concept! 

Kintsugi your life too.

Regards

SRN

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