Variations on Kintsugi ✨
- Didier Fallières
- Jun 1
- 9 min read
While Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing with gold powder, is now widely celebrated for its symbolic beauty and deep philosophy, it is only one of the many faces of urushi lacquer repair in Japan.
Long before gold began to highlight the scars of broken ceramics, Japanese artisans were using raw, natural urushi lacquer to repair damaged objects, following various approaches—some subtle, others more daring.
These ancient techniques, often unknown to the general public, form a rich world of craftsmanship, poetry, and aesthetic reflection. Grouped under names such as Tomotsugi, Yobitsugi, and Tametsugi, each of these styles tells a different story each a unique way of embracing the break, enhancing it, or making it converse with new materials.
This post invites you to explore these parallel paths to Kintsugi, offering a deeper understanding of the scope and depth of the Japanese art of repair a gentle reminder that a fracture is not an end, but a new beginning.
Tomotsugi
From Kintsugi to Yobitsugi
The concept of Tomotsugi, or “reassembly with original fragments,” also known as Tomonaoshi, is one of the most traditional, faithful, and respectful forms of urushi lacquer repair.
It is based on a simple yet powerful idea: restoring a broken object using only its original fragments, without adding any foreign pieces. This approach preserves the integrity of the object—both visually and symbolically.
A Faithful and Subtle Restoration
Tomotsugi is a conservative method in the noblest sense of the word: it does not seek to embellish, transform, or glorify the scar, but rather to honor the original nature of the objectits texture, hue, and silhouette.
It is the art of discreet, subtle, almost invisible repair yet one that carries deep meaning. Each fragment is returned precisely to its place, like a piece in a puzzle of memory, and the cracks are filled and finished with carefully selected lacquer to blend with the colors and surface of the vessel.
A Silent Philosophy
Beyond technique,Tomotsugi is an act of respect. It acknowledges that the break is now part of the object’s story but without imposing a visible transformation. It is a philosophy of humility and continuity, where one repairs not to display, but to honor.
In a world that often celebrates the spectacular, this approach offers a quiet, poetic reflection: to repair is also to preserve gently, without noise, without excess, with care, attention, and fidelity.
Tametsugi
The quiet art of Kintsugi, or the silent repair.
In the world of Kintsugi where gold traces and highlights the scars there exists a humbler, more inward path: Tametsugi, or Urushi-Tsugi, literally “repair with lacquer.”
Here, there is no shine, no precious material. The repair is made solely with the depth of urushi an ancient plant-based lacquer, in black or deep red. Nothing seeks attention. The mended object is neither transformed nor glorified simply brought back to its form, with its silences and its scars.
A Meditative Gesture, A Presence Rediscovered
In this approach, the act of restoration becomes meditative.
The artisan neither hides the cracks nor the missing parts; instead, they accompany them, subtly highlighting and deepening them with dense black or rich brown-red lacquer. Like tracing a quiet poem on the skin of a memory.
It is not a spectacular gesture, but an act of listening and presence. A way of saying that the object doesn’t need to shout to exist again.
The Praise of Restraint
Unlike classic Kintsugi, which illuminates the scars, Urushi-Tsugi blends into the material.
The line of repair is often imperceptible, absorbed into the dark tones of urushi: kuro roiro (deep black) or bengara (reddish brown), applied in fine successive layers.
It is through this discretion that the object regains its density, its memory, its enduring beauty.
Urushi-Tsugi evokes those forgotten places in the world, where things are left in their rightful place. Nothing shouts; everything whispers.
Each crack or absence tells a story without seeking to impose itself. An aesthetic of wabi-sabi.
Tametsugi as an Art of Wabi-sabi
Tametsugi is an art rooted in wabi-sabi. It honors the passage of time, imperfection, and simplicity.
The process is slow: the lacquer must be allowed to dry, the surface to be polished, the layers to build up gently.
This rhythm invites patience and attentiveness. It is about giving the material time to be reborn, and the object time to breathe again—without force.
It also means recognizing that some wounds do not need to be highlighted, but simply acknowledged. Repaired with respect, in continuity with what was, without rupture.
Urushi-Tsugi does not offer a return to what once was. Rather, it proposes a quiet peace with the accident, a muted reconciliation, a discreet harmony between the object and its story.
While the deep black of kuro roiro is traditionally used in some variants like Tametsugi, one could just as easily choose a vibrant vermilion, cinnabar red, or any other urushi color. The choice of hue influences both the symbolic depth of the repair and its visual impact. This chromatic freedom opens up contemporary perspectives beyond classic black, while remaining faithful to wabi-sabi aesthetics.
Harmonizing the Color of Lacquer
Reproducing Ceramic Colors with Lacquer: A Quest for Balance
Among the many subtleties of Kintsugi and Urushi-Tsugi, the challenge of color reproduction stands out sharply. Contrary to common belief, it is not gold or silver that dominates the history of these repair arts, but rather the difficulty of achieving a faithful hue using urushi lacquer itself.
Mixing Urushi Lacquer with Natural Pigments: An Art of Patience
Urushi lacquer is a noble, living, and temperamental material. Working with its colors is no simple task: urushi is naturally brownish, acidic, and contains oxidizing agents that make it highly reactive. This is why, historically, only a limited range of colors was used in the Japanese lacquer arts.
A Limited Range of Mineral-Based Pigments
Unlike modern binders, urushi does not accept all pigments. Only certain mineral or natural pigments—stable in the face of acidity and oxidation—can be incorporated. Among the most commonly used:
Bengara – a rich reddish-brown derived from iron oxide
Shiro – a white obtained from powdered eggshells or titanium oxide
Kusa (green), Kiiro (yellow), Asagi (blue) – also mineral in origin
A Precise Ratio
The mixture of pigment and urushi lacquer (shuai) is typically made at a 1:1 weight ratio. This proportion allows the pigment to visually dominate the lacquer’s natural color, while preserving its adhesive properties and uniformity.
The Two-Step Process
Mixing Pigment and Shuai Lacquer: A Slow and Meticulous Art
Achieving a perfectly uniform shade with Japanese urushi lacquer is no improvisation. The mixing process with pigment especially with Shuai lacquer follows a traditional, demanding method, requiring patience and precision.
1. The Pre-Mix: Slow Infusion of Pigment
Begin by incorporating the entire amount of pigment into about half of the Shuai urushi lacquer, a translucent light amber lacquer, on a clean glass plate. The mixture must be stirred thoroughly, ideally for 30 minutes, until a homogeneous texture is obtained.
Once this initial paste is prepared, it is carefully protected from air with oiled paper or plastic wrap. It is then left to rest for 12 to 24 hours. This waiting time allows the lacquer to deeply penetrate the pigment, reinforcing the unity and stability of the color.
2. Final Incorporation: Complete Fusion
After the resting period, gradually add the remaining Shuai urushi lacquer to the mixture. Continue to knead patiently until you achieve a perfectly smooth, dense, and uniform paste.
3. Filtration: Purity of the Material
Before use, the pigmented lacquer is filtered through a very fine paper (specially adapted Japanese paper).
The Role of Drying
The drying of colored lacquer plays a crucial role in preserving its hue. Drying too quickly tends to brown the paste. Conversely, slow drying in a humidity-controlled environment (called furo or muro むろ) helps maintain the brightness and stability of the colors.
A Demanding Discipline
This craftsmanship, inherited from traditional techniques, requires great precision and attentive listening to the materials. Even a slight excess of pigment, overly aged lacquer, or poorly controlled drying can compromise the result.
But when the balance is achieved, the result is exceptionally refined: deep, natural colors rooted in the material. It is here that urushi lacquer reveals all its silent poetry.
Yobitsugi (呼継ぎ)
Adding a Foreign Piece to Repair
Yobitsugi is arguably one of the most surprising and artistically bold concepts in traditional Japanese repair. Unlike Tomotsugi or Kyotsugi, which rely on reusing original fragments, Yobitsugi consists of replacing a missing part of a ceramic piece with a fragment taken from another object.
In Japanese, “yobu” (呼ぶ) means “to call” or “to invite,” and “tsugi” (継ぎ) means “to repair” or “to join.” Thus, Yobitsugi literally translates as “repair by invitation,” suggesting a deliberate union between two objects that were initially unrelated.
An Aesthetic of Contrast
Yobitsugi is deeply influenced by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which values imperfection, dissonance, and the beauty of the unexpected. While other techniques seek visual harmony, Yobitsugi embraces and celebrates contrast: two ceramics with different shapes, colors, or textures come together to form a unique new work.
The result of this repair is always one of a kind. Each assembly tells a story of encounter, transformation, and metamorphosis. The repaired object becomes a dialogue between two fragments of memory, between two material narratives.
Applications and Artistic Intention
Yobitsugi is often used when the original fragments are lost or unusable, or when the damaged piece has a breach too large to be filled by a single repair.
It can also be a deliberate aesthetic choice by the artisan, who wishes to create a hybrid, new work—at the crossroads between repair and creation.
Yobitsugi: A Contemporary Metaphor of Repaired Beauty
Yobitsugi is more than a simple repair technique: it rises to become a vibrant metaphor, an art of dialogue between fragments. By juxtaposing pieces from elsewhere, it celebrates the encounter between otherness and memory, fracture and renewal.
Each foreign addition becomes a new voice in the story of the repaired object. Far from seeking uniformity, Yobitsugi values heterogeneous assembly, where the crack becomes a link, and difference a source of enrichment.
In a world searching for meaning, marked by the wounds of the past and the transformations of the present, this artisanal practice resonates with rare accuracy: it reminds us that imperfection can become art, that alteration can generate meaning, and that repair, when welcoming the other, opens the way to an unexpected form of beauty.
Kintsugi on wood
a dialogue between living material and the restorative gesture
Kintsugi on Wood: Exploring the Ancient Japanese Art of Visible Repair with Urushi Lacquer
Kintsugi, the ancient Japanese art of visible repair using urushi lacquer, is traditionally applied to ceramics. However, when practiced on wood, this technique opens a new field of artistic expression—one that is sensitive, technical, and deeply symbolic.
Unlike glass or porcelain, wood is a living organic material that constantly evolves. It works by expanding and contracting with changes in humidity and temperature. This natural behavior makes wood a delicate and challenging surface for repair with urushi, the traditional Japanese plant-based lacquer. Yet, this very characteristic also adds a poetic dimension to the restoration process.
The unique tension between wood and urushi lacquer defines the true technical challenge of Kintsugi on wood, creating a fascinating blend of craftsmanship and philosophy.
Wood Specificities in Kintsugi
Wood is hygroscopic: it absorbs moisture from the air and releases it depending on the environment.
This causes dimensional variations (swelling or shrinking), which can weaken a repair if it is too rigid.
Wood often features knots, grain patterns, and natural micro-cracks that influence the way it breaks, but also enhance the beauty of the repair.
These characteristics make wood a demanding yet living material, ideal for a contemporary approach to Kintsugi.
Technical Challenges of Kintsugi on Wood
Controlled Drying and Stabilization
To ensure a lasting repair:
The wood must be perfectly dry and stabilized, with a moisture content below 10%.
Unstabilized wood can crack again when placed in a furo (humid room) or muro (controlled humidity chamber), both essential steps for drying urushi.
A traditional mixture of sabi and fine wood powder (kokuso) is often used to fill the cracks, offering flexibility and adhesion.
1. Preparation and Cleaning
Carefully clean the wooden piece to remove dust, grease, or residues.
Lightly sand the edges of cracks or breaks to improve adhesion.
Composition of Kokuso
There are several recipes, but the base typically includes:
Ki-urushi
Keyaki or Mokufun (wood powder): adds texture, fills gaps, and promotes adhesion.
(Optional) Crushed plant fibers (hemp, flax, etc.): enhances mechanical strength, especially for large cracks.
(Sometimes) A bit of tonoko: balances moisture and improves cohesion.
Indicative Proportions
2 parts fine wood powder
1 part ki-urushi
(Adjust depending on consistency: the paste should be firm, malleable, and not runny)
The mixture should not be too dry (risk of poor adhesion) nor too liquid (risk of sagging or oozing).
Let it dry in a muro or furo at approximately 75% humidity and 20–25°C.
Drying time: 2 to 7 days or more, depending on thickness.
Application of Kuro Roiro Lacquer
Apply a first layer of kuro roiro lacquer.
Allow it to dry in a humid environment (ideally 70–80% humidity) for 24 to 48 hours or more.
Lightly sand between each layer using waterproof sandpaper (#600 / #800) for a flawless finish. Ensure there are no holes, scratches, bumps, or ridges.
Repeat the process (2 to 3 layers) for an optimal intermediate coat.
Gold or Metallic Powder Finish
Once the final layer of lacquer has dried, apply a thin coat of bengara lacquer, then sprinkle gold, silver, or copper/brass powder.
A living and poetic repair
Result: A wooden piece repaired with elegance, highlighting its imperfections in line with the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic.
Practicing Kintsugi on wood means embracing the idea that repair evolves over time, just like the material itself. Each golden scar becomes a memory tracer, a living imprint within the object. It is no longer just a restoration: it is a reinvention.
What about you?
Have you ever tried a variation of Kintsugi on wood, metal, glass, or another unexpected material?
Each surface tells its own story, and your creations deserve to be shared.
💬 Leave a comment to show us your personal take on Kintsugi your unique interpretation of this ancient Japanese art that blends repair, emotion, and the wabi-sabi aesthetic.
We’d love to see how you bring broken objects back to life with creativity and sensitivity.
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