Uchikura & Co., LLC

Kintsugi Is Not About Gold — It Is About Value

 

Kintsugi is the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or other precious materials. Today, many people admire Kintsugi because the repair itself becomes part of the object's story. In some cases, the repaired piece is considered even more beautiful and valuable than before it was broken.

 

However, there is an important point that is often missed.

 

Kintsugi was never intended to make something worthless valuable. Historically, people did not repair ordinary, disposable items with gold. They used Kintsugi to preserve something that already had value—whether that value was financial, artistic, historical, or sentimental.

 

Recently, some products have been intentionally broken and then repaired with Kintsugi techniques simply to create a unique appearance or increase market value. While the craftsmanship may be impressive, this misses part of the original philosophy. The purpose of Kintsugi was not to create value from damage. It was to preserve and honor value that already existed.

 

In other words, Kintsugi is not merely a repair technique. It is a method of preservation. The gold does not create the importance of the object; it acknowledges the importance that was already there.

 

Before admiring the gold-filled cracks, it may be worth asking a simple question: What made the object valuable before it was broken?

 

That question may be the true spirit of Kintsugi.