Navigatoris Hollandici Vxor 

This is Navigatoris Hollandici Vxor, an etching by Wenceslaus Hollar. We observe a Dutch navigator's wife, her attire a tapestry of cultural symbols. The hat, reminiscent of Asian designs, tells of Amsterdam's global reach, a hub of the Dutch East India Company. But it is the ruff collar that truly captures our gaze. This elaborate circle around the neck speaks of status, yet also of constraint. It is a motif seen across Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, a visual echo of power and societal expectations. We might recall similar collars in portraits of Queen Elizabeth, emblems of authority. Over time, the ruff has lost its literal form, but the desire to express status through adornment endures, resurfacing in modern fashion. These circular shapes, whether ruffs or necklaces, engage the collective subconscious, triggering primal emotions of belonging and differentiation.