I drew inspiration from the pleated white ruff bedecking the neck of the wealthy Amsterdam merchant’s daughter Johanna le Maire from c. 1622.

My love for metal and for the harmony of geometric shapes helped me treat metal like fabric, folding it in pleats that rest against each other gently like waves in a calm sea. These metal pleats form a fixed circle, which embraces, brightens and adorns the person wearing my ruff jewellery.

Self-Portrait, Abraham de Vries, 1621

oil on canvas, h 79cm × w 65cm More details