Repaired cup

Tradition has it that the art of kintsugi started in Japan in the 15th century. A powerful dignitary of the time broke his porcelain tea bowl and sent it to China for repair. Dissatisfied with its restoration using metal staples, he turned to his own craftsmen, who decided to glue the pieces together using a resin made with gold. Thus was the art of kintsugi born, and all its associated symbolism: instead of concealing cracks in an object (or person), they are accepted and glorified, becoming part of its history. Kintsugi was the inspiration behind the restoration of this porcelain cup.

Use of the kintsugi technique has taken off in the past few years, particularly in the West where artists and craftworkers have seized on its philosophy and given it a contemporary twist.

The Museum of Walloon Life is putting on an exhibition on rubbish in 2022-2023 entitled “Ordures - L'expo qui fait le tri” (Rubbish – an exhibition that sorts it). Repairing items is one of its major themes. The Museum of Walloon Life decided to complete its display of old crockery repair techniques by having a broken cup from its collections restored using the kintsugi technique.

Restoration of this cup using the kintsugi technique comes under the "zero waste" approach, in which objects are reused – through repairs and upcycling in particular – resulting in less waste.