![]() A centuries-old Japanese practice of repairing fine ceramics through an arduous, highly specialized, and expensive process becomes a biddable symbol for the beauty of imperfection. The fault lines of a prior catastrophe bolt across the object like lightning now it is the scars that shine bright. An object that should have no future - a broken ceramic cup, or jar, or plate - is pieced together with lacquer made from the sap of the urushi tree and its joints are burnished with gold. Kintsugi is a stunning reversal of this rule. What 40-year-old has time to tell stories about all the marks life left on her body? What 50-year-old can even count how many parts he has lost to kitchen mishaps, unruly cells, or a fondness for sugar? Our flaws may still be lovely, even in aggregate, but rare is the person who can be bothered to find that beauty in them. With age, we gather increasingly more cracks, even as they lose their richness. That’s when they play their best roles, prompting a reminiscence about a fall from a bike or an accident at school, then drawing attention back to the skin, inviting soothing measures. Scars are charming to a new lover, perhaps, in the warmth of a new intimacy. IT IS EASY to see the appeal of kintsugi. ![]()
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