Welcome to our fourth, and final, installment of our series discussing Japanese influence in the world of Star Wars! If you missed our previous posts, head on over to our brief discussions listed below:
Today, we'll be discussing, at a high-level the Japanese art of kintsugi and its use in Star Wars. We will also highlight our newest product release - concrete vessels for our Sith Holocron line!
So, first off, what is kintsugi? Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, silver, or platinum and is often seen as a metaphor for embracing your flaws and imperfections. Kintsugi was heavily featured in the marketing for "The Last Jedi" with Kylo Ren's helmet.
"Having [Kylo Ren] be masked, but also fractured, is a very intentional thing. Like that classic Japanese process of taking ceramics and repairing them, and how the breaks in a way define the beauty of the piece as much as the original itself. As fractured as Ren is, the mask becomes a visual representation of that. There’s something about this that tells his history. His mask doesn’t ultimately hide him and his behavior is revealed.”
The quote above was from director J.J. Abrams discussing the use of kintsugi within the film and the poetic meaning tied to its use for Kylo.
With the idea of kintsugi in mind, we have created a new line of vessels for candles (we'll eventually offer them without candles so they can be used as catch-alls for trinkets or just as a beautiful piece of art in your home!).
Made with concrete and poured in small batches (small bubbles and imperfections are normal when working with concrete)
Kintsugi-inspired lines have been etched and painted in by hand
Shape was influenced by the Sith Holocron
Candles are made with 100% soy wax and are triple-wicked to ensure the candle fully melts down into all of the corners (5 oz)
Vessels will be special edition, meaning they will be available in limited quantities but will be a part of our permanent line of products
The first round of releases will be available on Wednesday, September 22 at 7PM MST on thenerfherderco.com to officially mark the release of "Star Wars: Visions"! The following scents will be available:
Kylo Ren
Darth Maul
Dark Lord of the Sith (Darth Vader)
This first release will be small, but don't worry - a restock will happen during the weekend and will be discussed on our Instagram page (follow us there for the most up-to-date information on the business!)