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The story of our Kintsugi collection started a few months ago, when we were in a particularly vulnerable situation through the work we do in Kashmir, which after 65+ years is still a heavily militarized and unsafe region to travel to or do business in. Given the current unprecedented ongoing security lockdown, Kashmir is pretty much an open-air prison, Kashmiri voices locked up and silenced with no concrete signs of improvement. This broken and imperfect existence of a territory with around eight million people is what inspired me to think of Kintsugi.
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery, by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer made of gold, silver or platinum. In other words, the mender instead of camouflaging the breakage with a similar color or tone rather highlights the same into brighter existence with increased jest and shine. Thus, reminding its user that breakage, imperfection and rebirth through repair are deeper “hidden” messages of non-attachment, acceptance of change and our permanent state of impermanence in this vast cosmos.
We have come to accept and understand our vulnerability that pink maharani heavily depends on our 150+ artisan groups (and vice versa) working in remote areas of Kashmir. This same vulnerability has brought us much closer to our artisans and further strengthened bonds. Unlike old notions that vulnerability makes us weaker and exposed to being harmed, we embrace the renewed definition of it bringing courage and love because we consciously decide, every day, to authentically show up, to our artisans, to our clients and to our partners.
We believe this limited edition Kintsugi by pink maharani collection, shall serve as a reminder of the same message to its wearer, that no matter how beaten down, defeated or broken you feel – the moment you embrace (and uplift) this brokenness with a “touch of golden lacquer” (hope, love and courage) you will shine through in perfect imperfectness.
As one of my favorite musicians, Leonard Cohen beautifully put it,
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
I look forward to your emails and messages, on your understanding of Kintsugi and our limited collection.
Narmada
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