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Taku Nakano

Kintsugi Cup "Jet Black Lightning" with a Paulownia Wood Box

Kintsugi Cup "Jet Black Lightning" with a Paulownia Wood Box

Regular price $540.00 AUD
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The Kintsugi Pottery series is individually crafted by Taku Nakano, a world-renowned Kintsugi artist with a studio in Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan. Each piece is a unique Kintsugi work of art in the world.

DESCRIPTION

The Jet Black Lightning Series is a distinctive collection of pottery, renowned for its deep, pitch-black vessels enhanced with the traditional Japanese art of Kintsugi. This series is characterized by the stark contrast between the profound darkness of the black pottery and the gold lines, reminiscent of lightning bolts, drawn by the Kintsugi technique. The black pottery exudes stillness and depth, while the golden lightning embodies movement and energy, creating an overwhelming beauty. The gold lines, added to repair breaks, do not merely conceal damage but elevate it into exquisite artwork.

This unique and meaningful series, which seamlessly blends Japanese tradition with contemporary sensibilities, is perfect not only for everyday use but also as a sophisticated addition to home decor or as a prized collector's item. The Jet Black Lightning Series offers a distinct choice for those who value the elegance and intricacy of Japanese pottery.

Kintsugi

Originating from Japan's distinctive historical and cultural context, Kintsugi is a traditional technique for elegantly repairing broken ceramics. In Japan, a land frequently struck by natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons, the practice of Kintsugi has evolved, symbolizing the people's resilience in overcoming challenges and emerging stronger and more beautiful. This philosophy is not just about repairing but also enhancing objects, making them stronger and more attractive than before.

Kintsugi embodies the aesthetic of "Wabi-Sabi," appreciating the beauty in imperfection and the passage of time. The "Mottainai" ethos, promoting recycling and respect for objects, has been a part of Japanese culture since the Edo period. This belief, that everything deserves a second chance and that overcoming difficulties leads to greater strength and beauty, is deeply interwoven with the Kintsugi technique and culture.

More than just a repair method, Kintsugi represents the synergy of Japanese spirit and culture, offering not only physical restoration but also therapeutic benefits and underscoring the profound bond between objects and people. As a symbol of Japan's history, culture, and spiritual fortitude, Kintsugi adds new value to broken items, making them significant in our sustainable modern world.

Product Details

  • Quantity: 1
  • Dimension: Diameter 7.5 cm (3.0 in) × Height 9 cm (3.5 in)
  • Material: Ceramic
  • Origin: Made in Tokyo, Japan
  • Brand: Taku Nakano

Authentic Japanese Craftsmanship

  • We partner with over 20 small workshops in Japan, where artisans have honed their skills for 100+ years.
  • Every piece is 100% made in Japan, using premium local materials and traditional techniques.
  • Your order ships directly from Japan with end-to-end care.

Shipping & Delivery Details

Processing Time

  • In-stock items: typically ship within 5 business days.
  • Backordered items: ship as soon as they become available (may take longer than 5 business days).

Transit Time

  • United States, Canada, UK, EU & Australia: 3–7 business days once shipped.

Shipping Costs

  • Free on orders over USD 400 (or equivalent in your local currency).
  • Flat rate of 10 (local currency) on orders under USD 400: USA: USD 10/Canada: CAD 10/UK: GBP 10/EU: EUR 10/Australia: AUD 10
  • Multiple items ship together at no extra cost.

Insured Shipping & Damage Protection

  • All orders are fully insured against accidental damage in transit.
  • For details, please see our Shipping & Returns Policy.

First-Time Purchase Savings

  • Sign up today and enjoy 10% off your first order—check your email for the coupon code and use it at checkout.
  • Free shipping on orders over USD 400 is applied automatically at checkout.

30-Day Return Guarantee

Customs & Import Duties

  • Your order may be subject to duties, taxes, or brokerage fees when it arrives.
  • These charges are determined by your local customs and are the buyer’s responsibility and are not included at checkout. 
  • See our Shipping Policy for country-specific duty-exemption thresholds.
  • For our U.S. customers: Orders shipped from Japan with a total value of USD 800 or less, import duties are waived under the U.S. “de minimis” rule.
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Elegant black kintsugi bowl with golden joinery

Kintsugi: The Art of Embracing Imperfection and Creating Timeless Beauty

Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese restoration technique that involves repairing broken ceramics with lacquer and adorning the repaired areas with gold. Originating in the 15th century, this craft reflects the Japanese spirit of cherishing objects and embodies the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection and transience. Far from being mere repair, kintsugi creates new value, and its philosophy and artistry continue to captivate people around the world today.

Side View of Kintsugi Bowl "Vermilion Crackle"

The Philosophy and Meaning of Kintsugi: Embracing Beauty in Imperfection

Kintsugi is an art form and philosophy that embraces imperfection and the damage caused by the passage of time, treating them as elements of beauty and intrinsic value. This technique teaches us that, much like a piece of pottery, human lives also encounter hardships, sustain scars, and sometimes break. However, these scars are proof of the challenges we have overcome, and imperfections are a unique form of beauty that belongs to each individual. Kintsugi invites us not to strive for perfection but to accept imperfection, discovering new beauty and value within it. This resonates with the modern need for self-acceptance and emotional healing—an essential concept often forgotten in today’s world.

A Kintsugi master creates exquisite Kintsugi art.

Taku Nakano: The Kintsugi Master of Japan

Taku Nakano is a ceramic and kintsugi artist based in Omotesando, Tokyo, with over 2,000 students. Utilizing uncommon materials and techniques in the ceramics field—such as pure gold, platinum, titanium, colored slip glazes, and the art of retsu (crack decoration)—he creates kintsugi pottery that embodies the philosophy symbolized by kintsugi: "stronger and more beautiful than before it broke" and "second chances for both objects and life." Through kintsugi, Nakano conveys not merely the restoration of vessels but also an aesthetic that embraces the history and imperfections of objects, along with a philosophy of regeneration and hope.

Jet-black Japanese tea bowl with Kintsugi box

The Meaning Behind Gifting Kintsugi: Celebrating Recovery and Resilience

People from around the world visit Taku Nakano's studio in Tokyo, seeking his kintsugi ceramics as gifts for loved ones who have overcome illness, injury, or hardship, or as mementos to reconcile with a partner or deepen bonds with someone special. For those who have faced challenges or pain, kintsugi ceramics symbolize resilience and strength.

Due to the nature of kintsugi, which involves repairing broken vessels with authentic lacquer and gold, it is exceedingly rare in Japan to find ceramics restored in this traditional manner available for purchase. However, Nakano, both a ceramicist and kintsugi artist, creates his works by first crafting vessels from clay, intentionally breaking them, and then repairing them with genuine lacquer and gold to produce his kintsugi pieces.

Each of Taku Nakano's kintsugi creations is a one-of-a-kind work of art, available exclusively through his studio or online via Millennium Gallery Japan.

Jet-black Japanese tea bowl, adorned with the exquisite golden repairs of kintsugi,

Taku Nakano

Taku Nakano is a potter who runs a ceramics studio in Tokyo. He creates unique ceramic pieces with a focus on cosmic motifs, crafting artworks in his own distinctive style. He also works as a Kintsugi master and was commissioned by the Georgian government to repair a wine jar, which was displayed as a symbolic object representing the meeting of Georgian wine culture and Japanese Kintsugi culture at the Georgian Wine Exhibition.

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