Kintsugi porcelain teacup by Ales Dancak. The sand-colored glaze is irregular and creates an exciting contrast to the textured exterior.

The original pieces were assembled using the traditional hon-kintsugi method, using Urushi Japanese lacquer and glue made from glutinous rice or wheat flour. The cracks on the outside were painted over with Urushi Japanese lacquer, refined with Japanese Hirofun gold, and then polished.

The teacup comes from the wood-fired kiln of Czech ceramist Ales Dancak. Ales Dancak primarily produces tea pots made from stoneware and porcelain, mixing the ash glazes himself. Dancak's style is characterized by its puristic design language combined with minimal decoration. It is usually fired at approximately 1300°C in a wood-fired kiln, but less frequently in an electric kiln.

This handmade piece is part of a series of objects created in collaboration with Tee Kontor Kiel, in which broken ceramic and porcelain wares are given new life through processing using the Kintsugi technique.

You can find more on the topic of broken wares in my blog articles "Broken Wares – The First Trace of a Life's Journey" and "From Broken Wares to Kintsugi Treasures: A Journey of Ceramics."