There is a centuries-old Japanese art form called Kintsugi. In this art form, broken pottery is fixed with a golden adhesive, which gives a unique appearance and new life to these damaged pieces. This unique method celebrates each artifact's unique history by emphasizing its fractures and breaks instead of hiding or disguising them. In fact, Kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful than the original, revitalizing it with a new look and giving it a second life.

I had Kintsugi on the brain while I was beach-combing recently. Typically, I hunt for perfect shells; pieces that haven’t been broken by tides or hungry seagulls. But this time, I collected the broken bits. The shells that didn’t make it through storms and surges unscathed. Maybe I was inspired to rehabilitate the imperfect because I lived through this pandemic—a year that broke us all in myriad ways and finds us all tending our covid-induced wounds.

I set out on this endeavor with the goal of fixing and revitalizing a broken shell with some modern-day, Relics & Artifacts inspired Kintsugi of my very own. I found a gorgeous conch shell with a gigantic hole on the back side, probably the place where a seagull pierced it with its beak to get the meat out. I found a couple of perfect pieces from the R&A craft blanks collection and I got to work. The Roman Sun Coin was going to be used to fill in the hole, and the Odysseus piece from the Siren’s Song set was going to go in the mouth of the shell.

What I did first was fill the middle of the shell with aluminum foil and packing peanuts to cut down on the amount of Apoxie Sculpt I would have to use. I then used the Apoxie Sculpt to secure the craft blanks to the shell and create my modern-day Kintsugi effect.

Once the Apoxie was dry, I began adding my finish. I used the brass VerDay with the patina spray to get the aged effect. This shell took approximately 3 coats of the VerDay to get the desired look I was going for. To finish it off, I added some clear glass beads and an unfinished shell from my collection around Odysseus’ face. The glass beads look like bubbles and the shell adds a bit of contrast to the piece.

One of the things I love most about this finished project is that I can display the shell either way and it’s equally beautiful on each side. I’m currently planning on displaying it on a shelf in my library.

What broken items can you add some Relics & Artifacts inspired Kintsugi to? I hope this post inspired you to look at broken things in a new way. I would love to see your finished projects!

Jenn Pipe

MUSE Design Team 2021