A lot of our historic taxidermy has a bit of that ‘wabi sabi’ | Oxford University Museum of Natural History

In 15th century Japan a broken tea bowl inspired a unique art form. During the reign of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, his favored tea bowl was sent to China for repair but returned with unsightly metal staples. Disappointed by the loss of beauty, Japanese craftsmen began highlighting the cracks with gold or silver lacquer. This method, called kintsugi or golden joinery, embraces the idea that imperfection enriches the history of an object. It reflects the wabi-sabi aesthetic, which finds beauty in