*This workshop was organized in 2018. We’ll organize it again in autumn 2019.
JCE will be organizing another Kintsugi workshop in July. This will be the third time that the lacquer master Mio-san will come all the way from Kyoto to give the workshop. Japanese people who appreciate tableware and their mealtime are accustomed to using the same tableware as long as possible by repairing it with lacquer and gold dust and silver dust.
What is Kintsugi
Kintsugi means succeeding with gold and silver. It is a technique to mend broken potteries by applying lacquer, and sowing gold dust onto it. Kintsugi became popular in Japan in the 14th century when tea ceremony had become very popular. It was not only to fix the potteries, but also to appreciate them with sowed gold dust as patterns. Nowadays, Kintsugi’s skills are seen as remarkable and are highly regarded all over the world. Kintsugi is one of the traditional Japanese skills and arts that have spread out over the world.
The features of this Kintsugi workshop
- We invite a special lacquer teacher from Kyoto, who has a lot of experience repairing antiques.
- We only use natural materials, which are quite rare, even in Japan.
- Participants can easily repair multiple potteries with small chips.
- Due to the mending being done with actual gold and silver, participants can put new attractiveness on the potteries.
- A Kintsugi workshop with this authenticity is seldom held.
What you can expect
- You can focus on learning Kintsugi for four days.
- You will feel as if you were working as a lacquer craftsperson by using professional tools.
- You can reuse the repaired potteries, due to the fact that only natural materials will be used.
- You can acquire the knowledge and skills about lacquer and Kintsugi.
- You can learn about Japanese people’s way of thinking about their products and manufacturing culture, from back when the Kintsugi emerged.
What kind of potteries can you repair
Participants to this workshop will bring their own potteries to repair using lacquer, rice flour, soil powder, stone dust, and gold dust. Mending the potteries will take a lot of time and will be very difficult to do if the potteries are completely in shards. That is why we recommend against bringing fully broken potteries. Of course, you can bring several potteries that have, for example, been chipped. After the repair, you can easily use your favorite potteries again, or use them as decorations around your house. Please bring your precious, or memorable potteries to our workshop.
The special teacher for this workshop, Ms. Mio Heki from Kyoto, studied Urushi at Kyoto University of art. She works as a restorer, repairing temples, shrines, Buddha statues and tea utensils. In addition to that, she’s also the proprietor of ‘URUSHI atelier Hifumi’, organizes Kintsugi workshops and makes products for the Urushi jewelry studio in Kyoto.
Date:
First day: 12th (Thursday) July 2018 18:30-21:30
Second day: 21st (Saturday) July 2018 13:00-16:30
Third day: 22nd (Sunday) July 2018 13:00-16:30
Fourth day: 23rd (Monday) July 2018 18:30-21:00
Event fee:
420 euro (For four times, including taxes and materials)
You can reserve only if you can participate on all four days.
Minimum people for conduction 4 people
Maximum people for conduction 8 people
Cancellation fees
One week before the workshop 50% of payment will be charged
Three days before the workshop 100% of payment will be charged
Belongings
The potteries for repairing (The potteries shouldn’t be broken in more than two pieces)
Two boxes to retain the potteries (You will use them until the end of the workshop.)
During the workshop you should wear clothes that may get dirtied, or wear an apron.
Place
Japan Cultural Exchange
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 177-1
1012 Amsterdam
2 minutes on foot from ‘Amsterdam Dam’ tram stop.