Kintsugi – Japanese Gold Repair Service for Pottery and Ceramics (Switzerland)

When repairing ceramics with Kintsugi, the repaired areas on your porcelain or ceramics are refined with gold, silver or brass powder, also known as Japanese ceramic repair with gold, silver or brass.

Ceramic repair with kintsugi

Kintsugi (japanese: 金継ぎ) is a Japanese technique for repairing ceramics, pottery or porcelain that originally uses gold (Kin = gold, tsugi = join, which together gives the meaning “gold connection”) to refine the repaired areas, but other metals like silver or brass can be used instead. In part, Kintsugi is equated with Kintsukuroi (japanese: 金繕い), meaning “gold repair”.

However, with the japanese kintsugi technique, you can not only have broken ceramics repaired, but also have broken porcelain repaired.

Traditionally, Japanese ceramic repair using the kintsugi method involves the use of urushi lacquer. This urushi lacquer is used both for final lacquering and for mixing glues and masses. As an adhesive, for example, in combination with wheat flour, urushi helps glue fragments of porcelain or ceramics. As part of a mass of clay powder and urushi, urushi helps to fill gaps or remodel imperfections.

Urushi lacquer, also known as chinese lacquer, rhus lacquer or japanese lacquer, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree, which is also called rhus verniciflua or rhus vernicifera.

Repairing chiped ceramics/pottery or porcelain

If you want to repair a piece of chipped ceramic, you mix the urushi lacquer with some clay powder and water and repair the chipped area – also called chip – with it. After this mass has dried in a so-called muro – a special curing box, the area is sanded smooth and then painted with urushi lacquer. It may be necessary to repeat this step if there are still unevennesses. After each lacquering with urushi lacquer, the ceramic or porcelain must be placed in the curing box again so that the urushi lacquer cures properly. To repair larger imperfections in a ceramic by filling it with a mass, other masses can be made with urushi lacquer.

Repairing cracks in ceramics/pottery or porcelain

If you want to repair cracks in ceramics, you can run urushi lacquer into the crack and repeat this until the crack is sealed, placing the ceramic in the curing box between each treatment with urushi lacquer.

Repairing hairline cracks in ceramics/pottery or porcelain

If you want to repair a crack in ceramic or have a hairline crack in ceramic repaired, you can also do this using the Kintsugi method, in which the crack or hairline crack is simply brushed with urushi lacquer. If the crack leaves a larger space than a hairline crack, the cracked ceramic is treated as one with a crack.

Repairing broken ceramics/pottery or porcelain

Broken pottery can also be repaired. In order to repair broken pottery, a mixture of wheat flour, water and urushi varnish is first prepared, which is used to glue the broken pieces of a ceramic piece.

Gold, silver or brass finishing of the repaired areas

Finally, in the kintsugi technique, gold is traditionally used in the repair of pottery, which is sprinkled on a final layer of urushi lacquer in the form of powder. However, instead of gold, other metals can be used, such as silver or brass. Ceramic repair using the Japanese Kintsugi technique, in which silver is used instead of gold at the end for finishing, is also called Gintsugi repair (gin = silver, tsugi = join).

Prices for repair

Prices for repairing a ceramic piece with the kintsugi technique depend on the type of damage (crack, gap/missing piece, broken piece) and the type of repair (with metal or without metal, type of metal, apply metal on both sides or only on one side, for example, in the case of a broken plate, apply metal both on the top of the plate and under the plate (both sides), or only on the top of the plate (one side). The centimeter count counts separately for each side.)

Prices for crack repair

• Basic price for repairing the crack up to 5 cm: 25 CHF
• from 5 cm crack length for each additional centimeter to be repaired: additional 5 CHF per cm

• if gold finishing of the repaired crack: additional 5 CHF per cm
 
• if silver finishing of the repaired crack: additional 3 CHF per cm
 
• if brass finishing of the repaired crack: additional 2 CHF per cm

Prices for gap filling or remodeling of missing parts

• Basic price for gap filling or remodeling of missing parts up to 1 cm²: 60 CHF
• from 1 cm² for each additional square centimeter: additional 5 CHF per cm²

• if gold finishing of the repaired area: additional 15 CHF per cm²
 
• if silver finishing of the repaired area: additional 10 CHF per cm²
 
• if brass finishing of the repaired area: additional 7 CHF per cm²

Prices for gluing together broken pieces

• Basic price for gluing together broken pieces up to 10 cm broken length: 50 CHF
• from 10 cm break length for each additional centimeter to be glued: additional 5 CHF per cm

• if gold finishing of the glued break line: additional 5 CHF per cm
 
• if silver finishing of the glued break line: additional 3 CHF per cm
 
• if brass finishing of the glued break line: additional 2 CHF per cm

Procedure and duration

The duration of a kintsugi repair is approximately between 8 and 12 weeks, whereby the exact duration depends, among other things, on the type of damage to be repaired as well as on whether the repaired area(s) is/are still to be finished with metal powder and how large our capacities are.

The procedure of ceramic repair with kintsugi method is as follows:

1. First of all, you have to ask us for an estimate. Please send us a photo/photos of the piece to be repaired via the following contact form so that we can process your request. Fields marked with * must be completed. Otherwise it is not possible to send the form (please note our privacy and data protection policy):

Alternatively, you can also send us a photo/photos of the item to be repaired to the following e-mail address, especially if the respective photo has a file format that cannot be sent via the above contact form:

robert.zueblin@robertzueblin.com

(please note our privacy and data protection policy)

2. If we have free capacity to repair your pottery or porcelain and you agree with the cost, we will email you our Swiss address (in Zurich) to which you will then please send your pottery or porcelain.

• Costs by shipping within Switzerland:
  You have to bear the costs for the sending to us (i.e. for shipping and packaging), we will bear the shipping and packaging costs for the return.
 
• Costs by shipping to Switzerland and from Switzerland abroad:
  You shall bear the costs for the outbound shipment (i.e., for shipping and packaging, plus the costs for any taxes, customs duties and customs clearance costs of the carrier that may be incurred). We shall bear the shipping and packaging costs for the return shipment. You shall bear any taxes, customs duties and customs clearance costs of the carrier.

Alternatively, we can arrange a meeting in a café in the centre of Zurich, where you can hand over the piece to be repaired to me. Unfortunately, a handover in my studio is not possible because it is not open to the public.

3. performance of kintsugi repair on damaged ceramics or damaged porcelain.

4. return of the repaired ceramics to the address provided by you or arrangement of a meeting in a café in the centre of Zurich, where I hand over the repaired piece to you.

5. payment of the Kintsugi repair within 30 days after receipt of the repaired ceramics by Paypal or by bank transfer to our Swiss bank account or German bank account.

Cost estimate for ceramic or porcelain repair with kintsugi technique

We will be happy to provide you with a cost estimate for the repair of your ceramics or porcelain piece using the Kintsugi method. This cost estimate is non-binding for you.

Please send us a photo/photos of the item to be repaired using the following contact form so that we can process your request. Fields marked with * must be completed. Otherwise it is not possible to send the form (please note our privacy and data protection policy):

Alternatively, you can also send us a photo/photos of the item to be repaired to the following e-mail address, especially if the respective photo has a file format that cannot be sent via the above contact form:

robert.zueblin@robertzueblin.com

(please note our privacy and data protection policy)

Kintsugi repair – care instructions

After a kintsugi repair, the following care tips should be observed when handling the repaired pieces:

1. You should not expose the repaired piece to direct sunlight, as urushi does not tolerate too much UV radiation well.
 
2. You should not wash the repaired piece in the dishwasher, but carefully by hand. You should not scrub the repaired areas. I would also not use a sponge on the repaired areas, but at most clean with your fingertips if necessary. Harsh cleaning agents should also be avoided.
 
3. You should also avoid soaking the repaired parts in water or other liquids for too long.
 
4. And you should avoid scratching the repaired areas with hard objects, such as cutlery. When storing the items in a cupboard or on a shelf, for example, you should also ensure that the other dishes do not come into contact with the repaired areas to avoid damage due to the hardness of the other objects.
 
5. Kintsugi repaired pieces are also not suitable for microwaves and ovens and cannot withstand fire. These pieces should also not be placed in the refrigerator.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Below we answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Japanese ceramic repair using the Kintsugi technique.

Can ceramics be repaired with Kintsugi, the Japanese repair method for ceramics?

Yes, you can repair cups, mugs, chawans, plates, bowls, dishes, vases, jugs, pitchers and other ceramic items using the Japanese Kintsugi repair method.

Is ceramic repair with Kintsugi food-safe?

When using Urushi lacquer – and sometimes also clay powder and water to produce pastes or wheat flour and water to produce adhesives – and finishing with food-safe silver or gold powder, ceramic repair using the Kintsugi technique is food-safe. As we use urushi lacquer, clay powder, wheat flour, water and food-safe silver or gold powder, our Kintsugi repairs of this sort are food-safe. Brass powder, on the other hand, is not food-safe. Therefore brass powder is only suitable for finishing as part of kintsugi repairs on pieces that do not come into contact with food.

Is it also possible to repair porcelain pieces using the Japanese Kintsugi repair method?

You can also have porcelain pieces repaired by us using the Kintsugi method.

Is it also possible to repair glass using the Japanese Kintsugi repair method?

Glass can also be repaired with the Kintsugi technique, but we do not offer glass repairs – at least at the moment. One problem with glass repairs with the Kintsugi technique is that the Urushi lacquer does not adhere so well to glass.

If you have the piece repaired using the kintsugi technique finished with silver (called gintsugi), will the silver tarnish?

Since we use real silver if you decide to have the repaired area(s) finished with silver, the silver will tarnish over time, becoming darker and discoloration may occur.

If you have the piece repaired using the Kintsugi technique finished with brass, will the brass tarnish?

Since we use real brass if you decide to finish the repaired area(s) with brass, the brass will tarnish over time, becoming darker and discoloration may occur.

If you want to have a broken handle repaired using the Kintsugi technique, can you put full weight on the handle after the Kintsugi repair, i.e. as before it was broken?

No, the handle is no longer as resilient after the Kintsugi repair as it was before it broke. For example, if it is the handle on a cup, this cup may no longer be lifted with the handle after the kintsugi repair.

Can a chipped ceramic be repaired using the Japanese technique for ceramic repair (Kintsugi), for example a chipped ceramic cup or chipped plate?

Yes.

Can a cracked ceramic be repaired using the Japanese ceramic repair technique, Kintsugi?

Yes.

Can cracked porcelain be repaired using the Kintsugi repair method?

Yes.

Why does it take so long to repair ceramics/pottery and porcelain with the Japanese Kintsugi repair method?

The reason why a Kintsugi repair takes such a long time, i.e. between 8 and 12 weeks, is that the Urushi lacquer requires time to cure after each processing step. Depending on the damage to be repaired, such as crack repair, re-modelling of defects and/or gluing of broken parts together, curing of the lacquer may take longer or shorter time.

Is it possible to put repaired ceramics/pottery or pieces of porcelain using the Kintsugi method in the microwave?

No.

Is it possible to put repaired ceramics/pottery or pieces of porcelain using the Kintsugi method in the oven?

No.

Is it possible to wash repaired ceramics/pottery or china pieces using the Kintsugi method in the dishwasher?

No.

Is it possible to bring repaired ceramics/pottery or pieces of porcelain using the Kintsugi method near a fire?

No.

Is it possible to put repaired ceramics/pottery or pieces of porcelain using the Kintsugi method in the fridge?

No.

Which care tips should be followed for parts that have been repaired with the Kintsugi technique?

See above under Kintsugi repair – care instructions.