Sondra Sherman studied painting and jewelry making at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia before moving to Munich in 1984 to study at the Akademie der Bildenden Künst. Sherman was drawn to jewelry by the inherent and socially interconnecting meanings of personal adornment. During her years in Germany, Sherman began a series related to kinetic systems. She created three series of bracelets that explored structural systems such as chain mail, hinges, and fringes. Each of these techniques consists of interlocked systems of moveable elements, which can change shape when worn in response to the wearer’s movement. This bracelet is part of the hinge series. On the wrist it can fold to lie flat or expand into a more sculptural, three-dimensional form.