Kintsugi Kit — A Craft of Renewal
Kintsugi is the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and fine metal powder, so the mend becomes part of the piece rather than something to hide. The seams are left visible, often in gold, as a quiet record of the object's life.
This kit puts that practice in your hands. It uses the traditional method and real materials: ki-urushi, the natural lacquer refined from tree sap, and genuine gold and silver keshi powder, the fine metal powder that forms the final lines. Nothing here is a shortcut. You are working the way kintsugi has always been done, at its own slow pace.
A few things that set it apart:
- Real materials, not a resin substitute. You work with true ki-urushi and genuine gold and silver powder, the same materials a traditional repair uses.
- Enough to see it through. The gold and silver are sufficient to mend about 30 small chips.
- Everything in one box. The powders, pigment, tools and polishing materials come together, with an instruction booklet and video guide you can follow at your own speed.
- A reason to keep what you have. Mend a bowl or cup you already love instead of replacing it.
- Nothing wasted. Any lacquer left over can be used for fuki-urushi, a wiping finish for wooden pieces.
What's inside
- 30g base lacquer (ki-urushi)
- Gold keshi powder, 0.1g, and silver keshi powder, 0.5g
- Tonoko clay powder, 30g
- Bengara red pigment, 7ml
- Sawdust and flour, for mixing the lacquer putty
- Spatula, glass mixing plate and oil bottle
- Paintbrush and sprinkle brush
- Sandpaper in three grits (#400, #800, #1500)
- Tokusa (horsetail stem) for polishing
- Silk cotton, pipette, masking tape and measuring spoon
- Disposable gloves
- Instruction booklet and video guide
Care and safety
This is a repair method that uses real urushi lacquer, and raw urushi can cause a skin rash. Wear the gloves included and keep it off bare skin while you work. If you have reacted to lacquer before or are unsure, test on a small patch first.
The lacquer is at its best within about a year, so it is worth starting your first repair while it is fresh.
A piece mended this way is made to keep and to look at. It is not a food-safe or dishwasher-safe finish, so we would not use a repaired piece for eating surfaces or put it in the dishwasher.
Kintsugi rewards patience more than skill. Give it time, and something you thought was finished becomes a piece you keep for years.
- Materials
- Care Guide
