Kintsugi Intensive Workshop (6 classes in 5-month series)

Meet the master

What you’ll do

Experience truly authentic kintsugi techniques, utilizing pure gold or silver dust and natural lacquer which takes months to dry, which will happen over a 5-month period during 6 sessions. In addition, you’ll be making your own bamboo tools to use in the process, learning the details of how to prep the chipped area and how to work with natural Japanese lacquer, allowing you to deeply explore kintsugi. You’ll come away with all the skills you need to repair kintsugi items on your own!

What’s Included

• Urushi lacquer

• Pure gold or silver dust (based on your preference)

• Tools

Who can attend

Children must be 18+

Schedule

Dates determined according to your schedule and the artisan’s schedule over the course of 5 months

Access

50 minutes from Tokyo Station.

What to wear/bring

• Your own broken/chipped ceramic to repair

• An apron with arm covers (kappogi, Japanese apron with sleeves, is recommended)

• Writing instrument

• Cardboard box

What else you should know

• As natural lacquer is derived from a plant in the poison ivy family, it may irritate skin. Gloves will be provided for use during the experience.

• Please bring your own broken ceramic with you.

  • One item with two cracks and/or chips, or broken in 2-3 parts.
    Or

  • Two items with one crack or chip each.

  • Chipped portion must not exceed 1cm in length and 3mm in depth.

  • Cracks no longer than 10cm

• The ceramic that you repair cannot be put in the microwave, dishwasher or the oven and should be kept at room temperature. Please do not scrub with any harsh materials.

• There will be enough leftover lacquer for private use after the workshop.

• The gold/silver dust provided is enough for use at the workshop. For those interested in more gold/silver for private use, more is available for purchase at the workshop.

Symbolic beauty

In the practice of kintsugi, which means “golden joinery”, cracked pottery is given a second life through the binding power of gold lacquer. It’s said that this technique may have originated in the late 15th century when the shogun of Japan sent back damaged pottery to China, only to have it returned, unsatisfactorily fixed with metal staples. In response, craftsmen came up with the alternative technique of kintsugi to repair such items. This technique perfectly represents the Japanese aesthetic value of 'wabi-sabi', or the acceptance of imperfection as part of beauty, which has its origins in Buddhist philosophy. Celebrating the beauty of brokenness, Kintsugi not only produces unique pottery but is powerfully symbolic.