Napkin Collar by Studio Droog

Studio Droog
Napkin Collar, 2013

Studio Droog’s 3D-printed Napkin Collar reimagines the iconic Tudor ruff as a contemporary napkin ring. Its intricate pleated design brings a playful yet sophisticated touch to any dining experience.

The inspiration came from a remarkable 17th-century pleated ruff in the Rijksmuseum collection rather than from traditional tableware. Made in the Northern Netherlands around 1615–1635, the collar was constructed from a long strip of fine linen, carefully gathered into dense, sculptural folds and fixed to a narrow neckband. This loose style of ruff, known as a fraise à la confusion, was fashionable among the Dutch elite, particularly men, and the Rijksmuseum considers this example to be possibly the only one of its kind to survive.

Part of the Rijksmuseum and Studio Droog Masterpieces project.

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Launched by the Rijksmuseum in 2012, Rijksstudio opened up thousands of high-resolution images from the museum’s collection for the public to explore, download and reinterpret. The platform encouraged a more active relationship with cultural heritage, treating the collection as material for new ideas rather than as something fixed. This approach led to the Masterpieces project, developed with Studio Droog and deJongeKalff. Presented in 2013, the project translated details, forms and references from historical works into a contemporary design context.