To live a life filled of good gestures requires a striking elegance - as the saying goes, "beauty will save us." Drawing on a blend of cultures and historical references, this work alludes to the aristocratic mid-century collars worn by women, often depicted in North European classical paintings. Their softness contrasts with the rigidity of social rules and rituals (embedded in a typology of object such as a coffee table) echoed in the solid silver table-top tray, used to serve the tea, a very formal moment. The collars once associated with discipline and status here appeared soft and graceful.