The West generally considers broken pottery or chinaware as at an end, the completion of its useful life. The Japanese art or concept of Kintsugi, however, gives a new vibrancy to broken goods, making them not only useful again, but also imbued with a wabi sabi beauty.
The process involves using lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum; the piece then vividly displays the cracked and broken lines with a beautiful, rich filling of precious metal. The aesthetic is uniquely Japanese; it is a celebration of the history of the object.