2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
Once, while walking around the Internet, I came across a description of an ancient Japanese art called "Kintsugi". This word in translation means "gold patch", and the art itself is the restoration of ceramic dishes with the help of a special varnish. It is obtained from lacquer wood, mixed with gold or silver powder, and this mixture is used to cover cracks, chips and glued seams of broken cups. The emphasis is not on masking the damage, making it invisible, but rather emphasizing, giving it shine and elegance. It turns out very beautiful!
In the 15th century Japan was ruled by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. One day he broke a Chinese teacup. Grieved and not wanting to part with his beloved object, an indispensable participant in all court tea ceremonies, he sent her to China for restoration. The bowl returned from there restored, but the shogun did not like its appearance at all - the iron braces connecting the fragments looked terrible. The shogun became even more upset and ordered the Japanese craftsmen to come up with another way of restoring ceramics. This is how the art of Kintsugi was born.
Kintsugi's philosophy is that flaws and imperfections are not at all something worth hiding. A skillfully accentuated flaw, makes things picturesque, caresses the eye and hints at a long, eventful life. An object that has been made prettier with the help of Kintsugi has experience and can tell a lot. Its breakdowns and cracks are part of its history, its song, from which words, as you know, cannot be thrown out.
The philosophical foundation of Kintsugi teaches us to correctly perceive failure and appreciate the beauty of flaws, and it can be applied not only to ceramic bowls, but also to human life.
And how come this wonderful idea comes to this day! The modern world does not tolerate flaws. It is believed that one must certainly get rid of them, adjusting oneself, one's appearance to some ideal. Impeccable beauties mockingly look at us from TV screens, forcing us to suck in their bellies, excellent interiors on the pages of magazines inspire melancholy, and an old shabby chair no longer seems so cozy. And pages on social networks have long turned into a folk exhibition called "My Ideal Life", where exemplary photographs compete with each other in the perfection of images.
Man of the 21st century is oriented towards success and standards. Diligently hiding his imperfections, failures and failures, he strives for unattainable heights, afraid to show others his vulnerability. It's time to stop and remember Kintsugi.
If you transfer the philosophy of ancient art to everyday life, it turns out that you can perceive your mistakes, failures and apparent defects in a completely different way. Remember this when you feel overwhelmed, when dissatisfaction with itself raises its head, when the fear of making a mistake paralyzes and prevents you from taking a step.
Maybe you shouldn't waste your strength and energy to hide your shortcomings away? He can agree with them, look at them warmly and openly, as they do in Japan, where lack is considered a unique element of the history of the subject. The bowl, with cracks filled with gold, turns into something more beautiful and unique.
Each of my "cracks" is my story, my experience, sometimes very painful,.. But I will not give up any of them. Thanks to each, I learned something new and important. And the "golden patches" that adorn the cup of my life help to keep the acquired knowledge and wisdom in it, from which I draw strength and become more stable.
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Injury Gold
Legend has it that one day the Japanese ruler Ashikaga Yoshimasa broke his beloved bowl. He ordered to restore it, and the cup was sent to China. The craftsmen repaired the bowl and returned it to the shogun, but it turned out that they had connected the fragments with large braces.
