kintsugiberlin

Mending pottery with natural materials

Kintsugiberlin is a studio for you and your ceramic piece.
I love ceramics, and I want to repair your favourite piece of art in a sustainable way.
I offer repair service and regular workshops.


What is Kintsugi?

Kintsugi (金継ぎ, „golden joining“) is the traditional Japanese handcraft of repairing broken pottery with Urushi (漆) and powdered gold. The idea of Kintsugi is visualizing mends as uniqueness, rather than the absence or missing parts.


What is Urushi?

Urushi is a natural resin extracted from the East Asian Urushi tree (lacquer tree). 
The resin is tapped by hand by an experienced Urushi tapper (漆掻き). Only about 200 ml of urushi resin can be obtained from one tree.
Tapping causes the tree to die, but new shoots soon form at the root.

About kintsugiberlin

As the founder of the studio, Satoko began practicing Kintsugi during her conservation studies in southern Germany and has been practicing it for several years. Her Kintsugi method is based on Japanese tradition, but has been adapted for everyday repair. She has been running her house-studio in Berlin since 2020.

Workshop

Kintsugi Workshop with Japanese Urushi

The workshop dates for 2025 for Part I are unfortunately already fully booked. However, there are still some spots available for Part II.

If you book a spot in Part II, you will receive priority placement on the waiting list for Part I on the same day. Please note that this is not possible for earlier dates than the Part II session.

2025 Dates: February 15, April 12, July 19, and October 11.


In this workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of the Kintsugi method using traditional Urushi resin from high-quality Japanese Urushi trees and genuine silver powder.
The workshop is divided into two parts, and there is an option to complete only one part. In the first part (Urushi Repair, 90 minutes, 10:00-11:30 am), you will delve into the history and materials of Kintsugi. Additionally, you will acquire a basic repair method using Urushi, including bonding, filling gaps, and closing cracks.
In the second part (Urushi Gilding, 45 minutes, 11:45 am-12:30 pm), you will deepen your knowledge and learn the technique of Urushi gilding with genuine silver powder.
If you wish to complete both parts in one day, we will exclusively use sample materials. Due to the curing time of the natural resin, it is not possible to repair your own ceramic piece in a single day. If you plan to attend the second part of the workshop at least one month after the first session, feel free to bring your own piece (one piece per person, suitable materials include earthenware and stoneware, please no porcelain!). In this case, you will need to perform some finishing touches at home. During the workshop, I will also provide information on possible material orders, allowing you to support Japanese Urushi craftsmanship.

The workshop fee is 100 EUR for Urushi Repair (Part I) and 80 EUR for Urushi Gilding (Part II), covering all material and tool costs on-site. Please note that the workshop will only take place with a minimum of two participants.
 
The workshop is designed for individuals aged 18 and above. To avoid allergic reactions to Urushi (Urushiol), individuals with eczema or allergic diathesis are advised against working with Urushi. After the polymerization of Urushi, the Kintsugi object is absolutely non-toxic and food-safe.

The workshop language is German, but I can also support you in English.

After completing the online booking, you will receive an invoice within 72 hours. Please transfer the workshop fee within 14 days. If payment is not received on time, your spot will be automatically canceled and offered to other participants.

Cancellation Policy:

  • Up to 72 hours before the workshop begins: No cancellation fee.
  • Between 72 hours and 24 hours before the workshop begins: A cancellation fee of 20% of the booked course fee will be charged.
  • From 24 hours before the workshop begins: A cancellation fee of 50% of the booked course fee will be charged.
  • In case of no-show without prior cancellation: The full course fee will be charged as a cancellation fee.

Please cancel in good time so that your spot can be offered to other interested participants.

Name deiner Dienstleistung

Kostenlos

Name deiner Dienstleistung

Kostenlos

Repair service

1. Mending crack/ hairline Crack: from 40 EUR 

(approx. 8 work steps, minimum 5 weeks)

Created with Sketch.

base price: mending crack with Urushi up to 5 cm: EUR 40 EUR 

from 5 cm 2,00 EUR per additional cm

 

additional:

with gold, both sides: 5,00 EUR (pro cm)

with gold, one side: 3,00 EUR (pro cm)

with silver, both sides: 3,00 EUR (pro cm)

with silver, one side: 2,00 EUR (pro cm)

2. Filling gap/ missing parts: from 50 EUR

(approx. 10 work steps, minimum 7 weeks)

Created with Sketch.

base price: filling gap with Urushi (1 part, up to 1cm²): EUR 50 EUR

from 1 cm²  (1 x 1 cm) 3,00 EUR per additional cm²

 

additional:

with gold, both sides: 16,00 EUR (pro cm²)

with gold, one side: 9,00 EUR (pro cm²)

with silver, both sides: 8,00 EUR (pro cm²)

with silver, one side: 5,00 EUR (pro cm²)

3. Fixing broken pieces from 50 EUR

(approx. 10 work steps, minimum 7 weeks)

Created with Sketch.

base price: fixing broken piece with Urushi (1 piece, up to 20 cm): EUR 40 EUR

from 20 cm 2 EUR per additional cm

 

additional:

with gold, both sides: 5,00 EUR (pro cm)

with gold, one side: 3,00 EUR (pro cm)

with silver, both sides: 3,00 EUR (pro cm)

with silver, one side: 2,00 EUR (pro cm)

 

Please send us a picture of your object with a ruler or tape measure by e-mail, so that the sizes can be approximately seen. We will provide you with a rough estimate of repair costs and time duration. After we receive your object, we will review our estimate and provide an accurate quote. 

Example 1: cracks (31 cm) 

Urushi-Repair: 92 EUR
Additionally both sides Gold: 155 EUR

247 EUR

Example 2: fixing brocken pieces (3 pieces) + missing part (2 cm²) 

Urushi-Repair: 153 EUR

153 EUR

Example 3: fixing broken pieces (6 pieces, 45 cm) + missing part (weniger als 1 cm²) 

Urushi-Repair: 170 EUR
Additionally one sides Gold:  81 EUR

Gesamt: 251 EUR

Example 4: fixing broken pieces (5 pieces, 13 cm) + cracks (12cm) +missing parts (2 cm²) 

Urushi-Repair: 170 EUR
Additionally both sides Silber: 99 EUR

Gesamt: 269 EUR

Gallery

Some of the images are from Florian Reischauer (florianreischauer.com) and Elena Capra (elenacapra.com)

© Satoko Toyoda