Kintsugi: The Poetic mend

Kintsugi: The Poetic Mend - Bonnie Kemske

This book explains what traditional kintsugi is and how it is performed, through historical examples and interviews with traditional kintsugi masters in Japan. It considers the possible reasons for its development, focusing primarily on the cultural approach of "creativity through destruction." Various types of repairs are described, including earlier "staple" repairs often found on Chinese ceramic ware or the development of yobitsugi, where shards from different vessels are pieced together like a patchwork. The basic concept of kintsugi, which involves the wabi aesthetic embracing imperfection, has found resonance in other areas, such as fine art, textiles, graphics, and product design. The book deals with how this concept is used in music and literature, with individual chapters interspersed with short prose and poems.