kintsugi

American  

[kin-tsoo-gee] / kɪnˈtsu gi /

noun

1. Also called kintsukuroi.  a traditional Japanese pottery repair technique in which lacquer mixed with precious metals, especially gold, is used to fill cracks and replace missing pieces.

   A 300-year old vase repaired with kintsugi was on display.

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Etymology

Origin of kintsugi

First recorded in 2005–10; from Japanese: literally “gold repair, gold joinery”

Example Sentences

Ms. Kondo illustrates mottainai through art forms that evolved from the spirit of preservation—including kintsugi, or the painstaking process of repairing broken pottery with a combination of lacquer and gold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Visitors can also participate in kintsugi workshops, learning how to repair chipped, cracked and broken ceramic and porcelain tableware using 100% natural materials including urushi lacquer and 24K gold powder.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2024

Kintsugi My favorite thing about visiting Japan in 2017 was seeing the art of kintsugi, which is their practice of putting back together broken things with gold and varnish.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2023

If that sounds hard to believe, look up the Japanese word kintsugi.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2021

Yusuke Mizobata, chief executive of the Tokyo-based design company NOD, considers kintsugi a predecessor of the modern concept of upcycling.

From Washington Post