{"id":1298,"date":"2019-11-05T10:04:36","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T10:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/?p=1298"},"modified":"2019-11-05T10:17:40","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T10:17:40","slug":"kintsugi-a-japanese-traditional-ceramic-conservation-skill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/kintsugi-a-japanese-traditional-ceramic-conservation-skill\/","title":{"rendered":"Kintsugi: a Japanese traditional ceramic conservation skill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kintsugi, also called Kintsukuroi, is a set of traditional Japanese\nceramic repairing skills that has been practiced for centuries. Archaeologists\nand historians have found that some excavated pottery in Japan was repaired\nwith lacquerware techniques around 1000 BCE. It is also believed that around\nthe 15th<\/sup> century, Kinsukuroi was introduced from China. Kinsukuroi\nmeans \u201cgolden repair\u201d and was originally not a repairing skill for ceramic\nvases. When the skill came to Japan, after some modification by combining the\nlacquerware decoration skills with repairing ceramic skills, it became\nKintsugi, meaning \u201cgolden joinery\u201d. Followed by the development of Chanoyu\n(Japanese tea ceremony) by the 17th<\/sup> century, Kintsugi became common\npractice in Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many schools of Kintsugi nowadays, with each master or\ncraftsman potentially having their own special detailed procedures and\ntechniques but with the main process mainly conducted in the same sequence. The\nmajor steps are presented below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Procedures<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

> Adhesion<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
  • \"\"<\/figure><\/li>
  • \"\"<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Mix tonoko (a clay powder) with urushi (a kind of lacquer) until the necessary stickiness is achieved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \n\nApply a thin layer of the sticky clay onto broken edges and stick the pieces together. \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n Sometimes other support may be needed to prevent the ceramic pieces from slipping before drying. \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If there\nis any clay overflow from the edges, remove it with alcohol or it will be hard\nto clean after drying. In addition, the clay will only dry in higher relative\nhumidity, near 70%, so if the relative humidity is lower, it is necessary to\nput the ceramic object into a humidity box. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    > Gap filling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After\ndrying and the broken pieces are stable, mix new clay to fill the gaps. Wait\nfor it to dry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    > Abrading\/modifying<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After\ndrying, the newly filled part will harden. If the shape is not suitable or the\nsurface is not smooth, abrade or modify it using sandpaper, a scalpel or a\nsmall whetstone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    > Consolidation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Apply a thin layer of urushi (the lacquer) onto the filled parts and cracks, both inside and outside. This operation is for further consolidation of the fillings and adhesion of the edges. Then put the ceramic into a humidity box and wait for it to dry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    > Red paint<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    • \"\"<\/figure><\/li>
    • \"\"<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Mix the urushi with bengala (a kind of red pigment typically used for decoration on lacquerware, the main element is hematite (Fe2<\/sub>O3<\/sub>)). Apply the mixed red paint lacquer on to the ceramic. You can change or modify the thickness to be slim or broad, according to what kind of patterns you have designed or are needed for the work being undertaken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • \"\"<\/figure><\/li>
      • \"\"<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        These pictures show the colour change after applying red paint. It is necessary to observe the dryness of the paint before undertaking the next step. It is better that it is neither too wet nor too dry, with experience being necessary when making this judgement.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/div>\n\n\n\n

        > Applying gold powder<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
        • \"\"<\/figure><\/li>
        • \"\"<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Apply gold powder on the red paint when the paint is half-dried. If the paint is too dry then the powder will not stick on it; on the other hand, if the paint is too wet, the gold powder will sink into the paint and not show as golden lustre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          • \"\"<\/figure><\/li>
          • \"\"<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            The left picture was taken just after finishing applying gold powder, displaying a smooth and shiny golden lustre. The right picture shows less lustre and some red paint emerging after drying, meaning that the gold powder was applied too early as the paint was still too wet.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/div>\n\n\n\n

            > Consolidation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

            Apply a\nthin layer of urushi onto the golden patterns to consolidate the powder and\nstop it from flaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/div>\n\n\n\n

            > Finish<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
            • \"\"<\/figure><\/li>
            • \"\"<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              <\/div>\n\n\n\n

              Conclusion<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              This was my first try at Kintsugi and was far from perfect but very interesting. Kintsugi is not a very hard skill to manipulate, but every step is quite delicate and needs much practice to complete expertly. Differently from many modern conceptions of conservation, conservators usually retain any broken parts without too much intervention or hiding of deficiencies. Kintsugi reflects an attitude towards deficiency and giving an old object a new life of beauty. This idea is called \u201cwabi-sabi\u201d in Japanese – the philosophy of the art of imperfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Introduction Kintsugi, also called Kintsukuroi, is a set of traditional Japanese ceramic repairing skills that has been practiced for centuries. Archaeologists and historians have found that some excavated pottery in […]","protected":false},"author":1745,"featured_media":1323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9,2,6],"tags":[148,349,361,54,357],"class_list":["post-1298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cabinet-of-curiosities","category-internships-and-placements","category-objects-and-treatments","tag-ceramics","tag-ethics","tag-kintsugi","tag-placements","tag-skills"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4fDDX-kW","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1470,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/if-it-isnt-broken-dont-fix-it-a-critical-review-of-new-kintsugi-a-modern-take-on-a-traditional-repair-method\/","url_meta":{"origin":1298,"position":0},"title":"If It Isn\u2019t Broken, Don\u2019t Fix It \u2013 A Critical Review of \u201cNew Kintsugi\u201d, a Modern Take on a Traditional Repair Method.","author":"Cal James","date":"January 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"After finding out about the technique of \u201cKintsugi\u201d, an ancient Japanese technique of repairing ceramics with lacquer and gold powder, I was intrigued. After some further research, including reading Shan-Ying Chen\u2019s previous blog post on the technique from November, I knew I wanted to learn more and at some point\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About CU Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"About CU Conservation","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/about-cu-conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2020\/01\/cal-featured-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1786,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/asian-lacquer-sap-varieties-and-a-basic-guide-to-purchasing-raw-lacquer\/","url_meta":{"origin":1298,"position":1},"title":"Asian Lacquer \u2013 Sap Varieties and a Basic Guide to Purchasing Raw Lacquer","author":"jingyizhang","date":"January 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Asian lacquerware is a unique art form that involves coating objects with layers of natural resin to produce decorative and protective coatings. Asian lacquer is derived from the refined sap of several species of trees within the Anacardiaceae family, and different species are grown in different regions. It can be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About CU Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"About CU Conservation","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/about-cu-conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2021\/01\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1526,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/p-s-we-love-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":1298,"position":2},"title":"P.S. We love you","author":"Caitlin Jenkins","date":"February 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Cardiff students work with a wide variety of objects at the university lab, on placements or other volunteering opportunities. It's difficult to pick a favourite object - like choosing a favourite child! But in the spirit of Valentine's Day, we've asked six students to tell us about a special object\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About CU Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"About CU Conservation","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/about-cu-conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2020\/02\/valentine-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/stabilisation-of-the-matcham-collection-interning-at-the-va\/","url_meta":{"origin":1298,"position":3},"title":"Stabilisation of the Matcham Collection at the V&A with Nerys Rudder","author":"Nerys Rudder","date":"January 15, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"During the summer of 2013 I was very fortunate to have a placement in the Conservation Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 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If you are a new student looking for what to expect in the lab, with object treatments or you are a prospective student looking for some more information about studying conservation before you apply, here are a few blog\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About CU Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"About CU Conservation","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/about-cu-conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1838,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/evolution-of-british-pottery-marks\/","url_meta":{"origin":1298,"position":5},"title":"Evolution of British Pottery Marks","author":"tszcheung","date":"March 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Pottery marks are a dependable means by which the manufacturers, origins, production dates and so many details of the ceramics may be identified. Often, the marks include factory names or trademarks, the signatures of painters, potters or gilders and precise descriptive notes, generally set under the base of the piece.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About CU Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"About CU Conservation","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/about-cu-conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2021\/03\/Screenshot-2021-03-19-at-12.35.08.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2021\/03\/Screenshot-2021-03-19-at-12.35.08.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2021\/03\/Screenshot-2021-03-19-at-12.35.08.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2021\/03\/Screenshot-2021-03-19-at-12.35.08.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"meta_box":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2019\/11\/finish-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1745"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1298"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1433,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1298\/revisions\/1433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}