A Broken Japanese Bowl

Kintsukoroi means ‘to repair with gold’, the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer. When the Japanese people mend broken objects they glorify the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when somethings suffered damage in life it becomes more beautiful. A lovely poem says it all:

I’m like one of those Japanese bowls

That were made long ago

I have some cracks in me

They have been filled with gold

That’s what they used back then

When they had a bowl to mend

It did not hide the cracks

It made them shine instead

So now every old scar shows

From every time that I break

And anyone’s eyes can see

I’m not what I used to be

But in a collector’s mind

All of these jagged lines

Make me more beautiful

And worth a higher price

I’m like one of those Japanese bowls

I was made long, long ago

I have some cracks you can see

And see how they shine of gold………………..