Abstract
There is a cloister of monks that makes wooden bowls from green, uncured lumber. The bowls are very beautiful but they immediately begin to crack as the wood dries out and shrinks as wood is prone to do. This is no surprise to the monks. When the cracks occur, the monks very carefully begin a process of repair. The repairs are made with a type of white plaster and, as the plaster sets, the bowls are sanded and rubbed smooth again. And again. And again. And again. The white plaster against the blood black wood makes traces and lines that look like river systems, arteries and veins. The bowls are things of absolute beauty. They do not look broken or like they have ever been fixed.
COinS