History of kintsugi
The exact origins of kintsugi are not known, however, historians date the start of the practice to the Muromachi period (1336–1573 CE). In the 16th century CE the repair technique appears to have already been in common use. Its popularity is associated with the Japanese tea ceremony tradition which was flourishing at the same time. Ceramics used in tea ceremonies, particularly the tea bowl – chawan – are cherished objects and have often been repaired using the kintsugi method. A legend dates the founding of kintsugi to the reign of Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who was the chief military commander of Japan from 1449 until 1473 CE. In the legend, the shōgun is fabled to have sent a broken chawan to China for restoration, and to have been disappointed by the aesthetic effect of the Chinese repair technique juci which uses metal staples. He called on Japanese craftsmen to develop a new method of mending broken ceramics instead, and so kintsugi was born.