Philosophy of Kintsugi - Wabi Sabi

Kintsugi philosophy is based on Japanese aesthetics of Wabi Sabi.

Wabi is a philosophy of finding a spiritual meaning inside despite of desolate
looks outside. Sabi is a philosophy of finding a beauty in something being decayed. Sabi, in Japanese, also means “rust”, Sabi can also mean rust on iron or blue rust oncopper.

In nature, nothing is infinite or perfect. Wabi Sabi appreciates things as they are
from the beginning to the end, while going through damages, or getting rust and so on, and ultimately finding fulfillment in a place of lacking.

Wabi Sabi philosophy was first introduced by Furuta Oribe. He was a warlord in the 16th century. At the same time, he practiced samurai tea ceremony and was known as a tea master. He also guided a production of pottery known as Oribe ware. Oribe ware is a simple rustic tea bowl with an asymmetrical shape.
Thus, his style of samurai tea ceremony embraces wabi sabi philosophy, accepting imperfection as beauty. He also started to use tea bowls with kintsugi to appreciate wabi sabi in his tea ceremony.

Hon’am Koetsu, mentioned earlier, learned tea ceremony by Furuta Oribe,
which enabled him to be exposed to wabi sabi philosophy and kintsugi.

Another aspect of kintsugi is that it is deeply rooted in samurai sprit since it was
a war period during this time in Japan, Samurais always had their lives at
risk. They could be badly injured or killed in the next battle. Even if that
happened, they wanted to be graceful just like scattering sakura petals, cherry
blossom, in a beautiful spring day. In case they got a war wound, it was the proof
they had lived. It was something they should be proud of, and not something to
hide away.

It is an aesthetic that finds beauty in the process from birth to decay.
This is what is behind kintsugi.