Kintsugi in Wool

Blue Kintsugi, 12" x 15". Designed by Linda Pietz and hooked by Nola Heidbreder, St. Louis, Missouri, 2018.

There are moments and events that remain indelibly ingrained in our minds. One such memory is when I toured an artist’s studio. I was riveted to the work of a ceramist who fashioned large, dynamic horses out of clay. What made an impression on me was that after firing, he broke the horses, only to reassemble his creations using resin and gold dust. The reassembled horses were stunning. Little did I know at the time that he was incorporating the ancient art of kintsugi in his body of work.

Kintsugi is the Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics using gold, silver, or platinum dust in resin. Breakage and repair are viewed as part of a piece’s history. Rather than hiding the flaw, a broken item is elevated to a thing of beauty by inserting precious metal into the crack. Kintsugi literally means “golden joinery” or “golden repair.”

I often offer rug-hooking classes about designing rugs from other cultures. Why not include kintsugi rugs? This article will show you that no particular drawing or art training is needed to design a beautiful rug.