Kintsugi
, also known as , is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum; the method is similar to the technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. Origin. Lacquerware is a longstanding tradition in Japan and, at some point, may have been combined with as a replacement for other ceramic repair techniques. While the process is associated with Japanese craftsmen, the technique was also applied to ceramic pieces of other  origins including China, Vietnam, and Korea. Philosophy. As a philosophy, is similar to the Japanese philosophy of , an embracing of the flawed or imperfect. Japanese aesthetics values marks of wear from the use of an object. This can be seen as a rationale for keeping an object around even after it has broken; it can also be understood as a justification of itself, highlighting cracks and repairs as events in the life of an object, rather than allowing its service to end at the time of its damage or breakage. The philosophy of "kintsugi" can also be seen as a  variant of the adage, "Waste not, want not". Types of joinery. There are a few major styles or types of : Related techniques. Staple repair is a similar technique used to repair broken ceramic pieces, where small holes are drilled on either side of a crack and metal staples are bent to hold the pieces together. Staple repair was used in Europe (in ancient Greece, England and Russia among others) and China as a repair technique for particularly valuable pieces. Influence on contemporary art, design, and culture. is the general concept of highlighting or emphasizing imperfections, visualizing mends and seams as  an additive or an area to celebrate or focus on, rather than absence or missing pieces. Modern artists and designers experiment with the ancient technique as a means of analyzing the idea of loss, synthesis, and improvement through destruction and repair or rebirth. While originally ignored as a separate art form, and related repair methods have been featured at exhibitions at the Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. Examples of contemporary artists and designers who incorporate "kintsugi" techniques, aesthetics, and philosophies in their work include: During the COVID-19  pandemic, the philosophy and practice of "kintsugi" emerged as a source of comfort. It has been used as a metaphor for rebuilding after tragic events such as dealing with loss, sickness, trauma, and the disruption of daily life. Kirsten Weir, writing in 2020 in the American Psychological Association's periodical "Monitor on Psychology", says, “Post-traumatic growth is like "kintsugi" for the mind,” while "The BMJ" described "kintsugi" philosophy as a powerful tool for healing after the grief of losing loved ones to COVID-19.