Description

For this accidentally broken blue-green glazed terracotta vase, I decided to use a particularly difficult and delicate technique in addition to 24-carat gold kintsugi: burgautage.

The name comes from burgau, the common name for many mother-of-pearl-producing shellfish. This is the mystery ingredient of this restoration: finely chiselled mother-of-pearl in circular and floral shapes, inlaid in natural black lacquer.

This traditional Japanese technique, known as Raden, demands meticulous, patient work: it requires a great deal of sanding and polishing, to achieve a perfectly smooth finish to the touch and a mirror-polished shine. With an added difficulty in the case of this piece: the surface is curved rather than flat, making inlaying all the more complex.

The result? A 20cm-high piece that’s absolutely unique. The alliance of an ancestral technique and a Zen-like vase.

Extra info:
The mother-of-pearl used here is particularly precious: it comes from a very specific shell, the Turbo Marmoratus, famous for its many reflections ranging from green to fuchsia pink.

Click on “Further information” to find out more.