on this windowsill since 1987 · mashiko · fine.
a ceramic teacup on a wooden windowsill in late afternoon light extreme close-up of a golden kintsugi seam on ceramic
"it's got wabi sabi."

wabisabi

chipped. cracked. crooked. kept.

click him. he's used to it.
cracks: 0
hmm.
yup.
that'll do.
the crack is where the gold goes.
start again
gallery label
Mashiko, 1987. lid slipped during firing.

part of a set of six. the set went out to a tea house. the tea house closed in 2003.

five of the six were boxed up and donated. the sixth — the one with the chip on his rim — was kept by the owner's daughter because, in her words, "it's got wabi sabi."

in 2014, the crack along his side opened during a cold winter. she poured gold resin into it. he has lived on a windowsill ever since.

the rules
nothing is finished. nothing is perfect. nothing lasts.
the crack goes where the crack goes.
the gold comes later, or not at all.
WABISABI is not a metaphor for your startup.
tea o'clock
it's always 4pm somewhere. it's 4pm here.
12 4 6 8
earl grey
key events
1987-10-14
fired
raku kiln, mashiko. lid slipped during firing. small chip on rim. accepted by the potter with a shrug.
2003-06-02
the tea house closed
five cousins packed off to a charity shop. he went home with the daughter, because she liked him best.
2014-01-19
the crack
cold winter. hairline crack along the flank. she considered replacing him. she did not. she bought gold resin instead.
2019-07-08
the photograph
she photographed him in afternoon light. posted it with no caption. four likes. she never posted again. he preferred it that way.
2026-04-14
still serving tea
tuesday. 4 p.m. earl grey. steam. a slow rain. that'll do.
relationships

the crack

his defining feature. he has made peace with it. the gold came later.

the gold

the resin arrived in 2014. she poured it in over a slow afternoon. he was warm to the touch. he did not object.

the shelf

kept him when the set was retired. loyalty. warmth. the other cups are intact. he does not resent them. he just outlasted them.

what this is not

he is a chipped cup on a windowsill.
that is the whole thing.

pour something in

the cup stays on the windowsill either way.
01
BUY $WABISABI
on pump.fun. no utility. no roadmap. that's the roadmap.
02
POST YOUR CHIP
the thing you kept that you were supposed to replace. tag #WABISABI.
03
4PM
come back for tea. no obligation. the kettle is on anyway.
buy $WABISABI
hmm. yup.

this is not financial advice. this is a chipped cup.
2,700,000 mornings have started the same way. four p.m. earl grey.
a slow rain. that'll do.

— WABISABI. on the windowsill since 1987.