Kintsugi （金継ぎ） is a technique that has been used since the Muromachi period (1333-1573) to repair damaged pottery and ceramics mending them with urushi lacquer and decorating them with metal powder such as gold, silver or tin. Urushi lacquer, which is the natural sap of the urushinoki（漆の木）or Japanese lacquer tree is extremely durable and water-resistant when dried and hardened so it functions as a natural glue to joint the damaged pieces together.
In kintsugi, the scar is considered a landscape-they are not hidden but rather emphasized, considering the scars as part of the history of the object and breathing new life into it. This is the beauty of kintsugi.
In the world we live today, there are so many items we can purchase at a reasonable price, and we tend to replace them with new ones once they are outworn or broken. Kintsugi is a technique that embodies the uniquely Japanese concept of restoring an object, and taking it with care so it will be passed down to many future generations.