Discover the Japanese art of Kintsugi — repairing broken pottery with gold so the crack becomes the most beautiful part of the piece — at Gilgamesh for Creative Arts, an art cafe and ceramic studio in a 1930s heritage house in Jabal Al-Lweibdeh, one of the oldest houses in the neighbourhood.

Your instructor begins by showing you how traditional Kintsugi is made: the natural urushi lacquer, the rice glue, the terracotta filling, the layers of black and red lacquer, and the gold powder sprinkled by hand and burnished with agate. It is a method that goes back to the 15th century and needs weeks of curing between stages — so you will see it done, close up, rather than wait weeks for it.

Then you make your own. Working with the modern Kintsugi method, you fill the cracks and chips of a broken ceramic piece and finish the seams in gold. The spirit is the same, the piece looks the same, and it is every bit as absorbing and satisfying — the difference is that it sets in a single session, so your piece is finished and yours to carry home the same day.

You will also learn the idea behind it: Wabi-Sabi, the Japanese belief that a thing is more beautiful for having been broken and mended, not less.

All materials, tools and gold are included, and so are unlimited drinks and snacks, with vegan and vegetarian options, served throughout in our coffee bar. Stay as long as you like — there is no rush.

No experience is needed. Whether you are an artist, a traveller after something quiet and hands-on, or simply someone who likes the idea of mending things beautifully, you will leave with a piece that carries both its own history and your hand in it.