24K Gold Kintsugi Arita Bowl | Between White and Swirl
Arita, Made Modern For four centuries Arita has been the standard-bearer of Japanese porcelain, and this bowl shows how freely its makers still work: a flower-form rim, a soft matte white ground, and panels of pale blue, lavender, and ochre swirls that alternate around the vessel like weather moving across a sky. Shaped by Arita’s Legacy: This piece also comes from Arita ware, Japan’s first porcelain tradition. Prized for its luminous white body and refined hand-painted details, embodying the harmony of precision and quiet beauty. Learn more → Discover the Art and Craftsmanship of Arita Ware Porcelain One Line, Two Faces Rejoined with urushi lacquer, the broken bowl now features two distinct designs along the same fracture line. The front is finished with 24K gold and a roiro polish, while the back is coated in moss-green urushi lacquer to harmonize with the matte white surface. On the widest restored patch beneath the bowl, lacquer artist Rio Hashimoto painted delicate swirls in urushi, carrying the vessel’s existing pattern across the restored seam. Hashimoto holds a master's degree in lacquer arts from Kyoto City University of Arts and has been recognized in international juried exhibitions. The entire process, from restoration to final decoration, took more than four months. The Reverse Rewards When turned over, the bowl reveals a second design: a moss-green seam at the base and minute urushi swirls along its widest point that connect the seam to the pattern. This detail is visible only to the hands that lift it. The collector receives a share in the custody of two crafts. Arita porcelain, revived in this vessel, and the urushi culture of authentic kintsugi, which rejoined it. Both crafts are still practiced by hand in Japan.