Skip to product information
1 of 5

Taku Nakano

Kintsugi Bowl "Owl Nebula"

Kintsugi Bowl "Owl Nebula"

Regular price $440 USD
Regular price Sale price $440 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Out of stock

Inspired by the celestial beauty of the Owl Nebula, the "Owl Nebula Kintsugi" series by Taku Nakano showcases bowls adorned with kintsugi, capturing a spectrum of vivid to subtle rainbow colors through the unique Saidei luster technique, offering an exquisite blend of traditional Japanese artistry and modern elegance for daily use or as a distinguished addition to any collection. 

DESCRIPTION

The "Owl Nebula Kintsugi" series, named after the Owl Nebula, features bowls with kintsugi on pottery that displays both vivid and subtly rainbow hues. This work by Taku Nakano, a world-renowned potter and kintsugi master with a studio in Tokyo's Omotesando, employs his unique Saidei luster technique. This unique and profound series masterfully blends Japanese tradition with modern sensibilities, making it perfect for everyday use, adding an elegant touch to home decor, or as a treasured collection. 

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 15 cm (5.9 in) × Height 4.0 cm (1.6 in)
  • Material: Ceramic
  • Origin: Made in Tokyo, Japan
  • Brand: Taku Nakano

All Products from Japan

Discover the beauty of Japanese craftsmanship. All our products are sourced directly from Japan.

Free Delivery over 400 USD

Enjoy free shipping on all orders exceeding 400 USD.

Shipping

  • In-Stock Items: In-stock items usually ship within 7-12 business days.
  • Backordered Items: Please note that if an item is on backorder, it may take longer than 5 business days to ship.
  • Shipping Destinations: Currently, we only ship to the United States, Canada, and Australia.
  • More Information: For more details, please check our Shipping and Returns Policy.
  • Combined Shipping: If you order multiple items at once, we will ship them together in one package.
  • Customs and Import Duties: Please note that your order will be considered an import in your country. You will be responsible for any import duties, taxes, and brokerage fees (if any) that may be imposed by your country's customs authorities. These charges may be billed to you when your package arrives in your country (they are not included in the payment on our website).
View full details
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.

White and black kintsugi cups and bowl, showcasing the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer.

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.

More About Taku Nakano

Recently Viewed Products