A Superb Gustav Prager Violin Bow – Markneukirchen circa 1920
$3,985.00
click picture to enlarge
Stamped:
Gustav Prager studied with his father, Fredrich Wilhelm, and opened his own shop in 1893 in the town of Landwüst, which is near Markneukirchen. The bows Gustav Prager made were highly valued on the bow market of the time. The Pragers were another making family that helped establish the Markneukirchen region as a powerhouse for fine instruments, in this case bows. Gustav Prager trained two of his sons who also become bow makers: Hans Prager (1900-1970) who later worked for his brother as a salesman, and Curt Prager (1897-1973) who was another fine craftsman and took over his father Gustav Adolf Prager’s workshop in 1946.
This bow was made by Gustav Adolf Prager (1866-1953). The bow is typical Prager style, especially in the head. The upright model head has a slightly round peak, and the nose has been worked down to a rather sharp slightly curved nose. The chamfers on the back of the head are more inwardly inclined to the center of the back of the head. The frog is Parisian eye model with 5.0 mm. mother-of-pearl eyes surrounded by a layer of ebony and then a 1.0 mm silver ring. The frog is fully lined with an endscrew of equal parts in sterling silver and ebony. The heel is pinned while the lining has two bronze screws attaching it to the frog. The bow is pernambuco, octagonal in section, mounted in sterling silver, and in very good condition. This 100-year-old bow has reddish brown color which is finished with a cotton cloth and rubbed repeatedly with linseed oil. The oil gives the stick a satin look while being a great protector of the stick. This is all done before the winding is completed and the leather thumb grip is added. Without a doubt, this is a professional level bow. A Wow! for the player looking to advance into a stick that will handle all types of both on the string and off the string articulations. The bow will feel like a feather in your bow arm and will greatly enhance your sound.
Weight fully haired 59.2 grams
