The Jewellery Collection of Annie Brouwer-Korf

Artist list

Annie Brouwer-Korf

It started in 1977 with a bet between Annie Brouwer-Korf and her husband Hans Brouwer. The deal was that the loser had to buy a jewel for the winner. Annie lost and bought her husband a silver bracelet at Galerie Marzee in Nijmegen, where she was a member of the council at the time, and later became alderwoman. The bet was the beginning of a rich and varied collection of jewels that each tell a – often personal – story.

Annie Brouwer: “Of course I did not only buy a jewel for my husband at Galerie Marzee in 1977, but also one for myself. This jewel was very different in shape and material than any other jewellery I had bought up till then. It was the beginning of the collection of contemporary (author’s) jewellery as it is now exhibited by CODA Museum.” Annie Brouwer expanded her jewellery collection in the years following the bet. A purchase was often determined by love at first sight. According to Annie, her interest was not so much focused on the material as on the shape and the way the jewel was made. Galerie Marzee in Nijmegen continued to play an important role in the development of the collection. Annie Brouwer: “The knowledge and enthusiasm of owner Marie-José van den Hout is infectious. I also got to know many artists through her. A number of jewels have gained a deeper or different meaning as a result of that. Some of my jewels tell unique stories, ranging from comfort in times of sadness to the representation of happiness when there was something to celebrate, or as a parting gift when I changed jobs.”

Unique in Annie Brouwer’s collection is the contemporary jewellery that artist and jewellery designer Annelies Planteijdt made from the classic jewels that used to belong to Annie Brouwer’s mother. These exceptional and special jewels by Planteijdt, which form the core of Annie Brouwer’s collection, will be given ample room in the exhibition in CODA Museum. During the period in which Annelies Planteijdt worked on this jewellery, Annie Brouwer became seriously ill. Planteijdt’s jewellery gave her comfort and courage in this difficult time. She also experienced this comforting effect intensely in later years. In her capacity as mayor, Annie Brouwer regularly wore a chain of office. For that reason, she rarely bought long neck jewellery. When she was mayor of respectively Zutphen, Amersfoort and Utrecht, she mainly bought ear jewellery, brooches and bracelets.

Besides Annelies Planteijdt’s jewellery, the exhibition in CODA Museum will include work by Hans Appenzeller, Gijs Bakker, Laura Bakker, Iris Bodemer, Onno Boekhoudt, Françoise van den Bosch, Mecky van den Brink, Petra Hartman, Maria Hees, Marion Herbst, Stephanie Jendis, Rian de Jong, Beppe Kessler, Nel Linssen, Ruudt Peters, Katja Prins, Philip Sajet, Lucy Sarneel, Etsuko Sonobe, Salima Thakker, and Frank Tjepkema.-2016-2016