Book excerpt: "Beauty in imperfection! Learn the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi and understand why, in the way of kintsugi artists, broken is better than new. This is your guide to putting the pieces back together to restore broken plates, vases, and other ceramics and glass items to be even better than before. Starting with repairing a simple dent or crack, you'll gain the skills to reconstruct goblets, vases, plates, spherical objects, and statues. Transform your broken pieces and heirlooms or create new works of art and wearable art with this method. Explore kintsugi's fascinating origins in 1400s Japan, its history, and its philosophy, along with ways to push the boundaries for your creations today. As you repair ceramic and glass objects--kintsugi works both for precious and thrift-store-level items--you'll learn the traditional methods as well as modern methods not taught elsewhere. You'll soon appreciate why kintsugi is the only Japanese art form that has taken a spiritual philosophy as its very purpose."--Provided by publisher.