2-748-087 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Wine Ewer with Incised Scroll Design, 1100s. Many celadons such as this miniature wine ewer were repaired with gold lacquer. Termed kintsugi (literally meaning "gold joinery") in Japanese, this method of repair highlights broken parts with glittering gold mixed with lacquer. Initiated in 15th-century Japan, the technique follows a popular aesthetic concept called "wabi-sabi," which finds beauty in imperfect things. Since many Goryeo celadons were considered extremely rare by early 20th-century Japanese collectors, their imperfect condition, which must have been caused by the recklessness of excavation activities, is prominently highlighted, as seen here in the spout and handle, with repair in gold.