From their first appearance in the late 17th century, cuff links—like the shirts they adorned—quickly evolved from simple function to elegant embellishment. Often custom made and ornamented with family crests and portraits, these finishing touches became definitive personal statements; the art of the cuff link was to discreetly but decisively divulge some aspect of the man’s life, his passions, his sense of humor, and even his social standing. Challenging today’s tide of mass production and mass fashion, Hobbs & Kent reinstates cuff links as personal symbols with a ground-breaking Limited Edition Cuff Links Collection. Ex.Arte is the collaborative vision between Hobbs & Kent and today’s emerging artists to explore art as a form of self expression and, conversely, self expression as a form of art while changing our view of traditional men’s accessories. Stemming from Hobbs & Kent’s long-standing tradition of quality and innovative use of luxurious materials, Ex.Arte features exclusive designs by the artist that are hand-applied to porcelain and mounted in sterling silver. The collection takes a playful and transformative approach towards the classic concepts of bespoke accessories and custom clothing with a group of provocative and iconoclastic images that, while created in a traditional “old world” medium, are at the forefront of contemporary art.

Each Ex.Arte cuff link bears the artist’s name and edition number, individually hand-stamped alongside the maker’s marks that are a Hobbs & Kent signature.