Kintsugi
Kintsugi is repairing broken pottery with lacquer and finishing the seams in gold, so the break stays visible.
Full definition of Kintsugi →:: COMPARE ::
KintsugivsWabi-sabi
The short answer
Related, not identical. Wabi-sabi is an aesthetic disposition toward age and imperfection. Kintsugi is a specific, expensive, month-long lacquer technique with materials and cure times. It can express wabi-sabi taste, but it's a workshop procedure, not a worldview.
Side by side
| Aspect | Kintsugi | Wabi-sabi |
|---|---|---|
| Is | A technique | A disposition |
| Takes | ~1 month | — |
| Requires | Urushi lacquer | Nothing |
| Can be bought | Yes | No |
What each one means
Wabi-Sabi
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic sensibility that finds beauty in imperfection, impermanence and simplicity — in the asymmetry of a handmade bowl, the patina of age, the quiet grace of things worn and passing.
Full definition of Wabi-Sabi →