RESTORE WITH GOLD
KINTSUGI
Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese technique for restoring ceramics. Its name derives from “Kin” gold – “tsugi” reunion.
According to the most accredited legend, it originated in the 15th century AD, when Ashikaga Yoshimasa, eighth shogun of Ashikaga, after breaking his favorite tea cup, sent it to China to have it repaired. Unfortunately, the repairs were carried out with unaesthetic and not at all functional metal bindings. The object now seemed lost, but its owner tried to entrust it to some Japanese craftsmen who, surprised by the shogun’s tenacity in getting his beloved cup back, decided to try to transform it into a jewel by filling the cracks with lacquered resin and dust. gold.
THE KINTSUGI TECHNIQUE
Urushi lacquer is the protagonist in every step of kintsugi, it is the main “ingredient” to reproduce the true kintsugi technique. Urushi is a resin that is extracted from the Rhus paintflua plant, native to Japan, which is also found in China, Vietnam and South-East Asia, although the most prized variety remains the Japanese one.
The lacquer serves primarily as a glue for the ceramic, mixed with flour (nori urushi with rice starch – mugi urushi with wheat flour).
Scroll through the phases
“When it is about to dry, but it is not yet dry”, as a small, elderly lady told me in the first shop in Kyoto where I went to buy urushi, we proceed to drop the gold dust on the lacquer with the technique dusting.
5- Between one step and another, for the lacquer to polymerize, it is necessary to keep the objects in a condition called muro, that is, a humid environment, literally “in the absence of air”.
In the laboratory we have created some cabinets covered with wood, which are kept humid. The ideal condition for drying urushi is at least 22° and at least 75% relative humidity.
LACQUERING
THE MAKI-E TECHNIQUE
Maki-e is an ancient lacquering tradition dating back to the Heian period (794-1185). In reality it seems that the term is an evolution of makkinru, art created with a mixture of urushi and gold dust.
On a background, called jimaki, which has no added design, images and patterns created with colors, but also with gold and silver dust are traced.