BAUSCH Star Frog German Violin Bow circa 1900

click picture to enlarge

Stamped:

For over three centuries, German luthiers have supplied musicians not only with serviceable and affordable instruments but also their bows. This bow is from the early 20th century. From the late 1700’s through 1945 the violin was the most popular form of musical entertainment, next to the piano. To meet the demand, a thriving industry developed in a remote area of eastern Germany on the Czech border, a region known as Western Bohemia. The center of this instrument making industry was the town of Markneukirchen in the state of Saxony. The Bausch family made bows there for four generations, starting back with Ludwig Christian August Bausch in 1820’s. The Bausch family made superb bows sold as their own and marketed unstamped bows to other shops in Germany such as the Heinrich Knopf shop up to 1876. The “BAUSCH” branded bows were still being made while the Bausch shop was under the management of the Paulus family from 1876 up to the 1920’s.

Our Bausch bow is of very good workmanship. The stick is tight grain old wood, and the color is orange/brown. The grain in this stick and its clarity is over the top phenomenal. (Side note: I would have loved to have seen their massive wood inventory- Wow!) The bow is finished in nickel mounts and the solid silver endscrew has the typical Bausch double rings in the collar of the end cap. The ebony frog helps to set this bow apart. The eyes are a mother-of-pearl star surrounded by a circle of silver. This silver ring is very indicative of Bausch bows from the mid 1800’s to 1920’s, and the star is finished off in the center with a 2.0 mm mother-of-pearl eye. The frog and endscrew are original to the bow. We have meticulously gone over the entire bow replacing the silver winding and leather thumb. The bow was at first cleaned very well after removing the old leathers and winding. The head of the bow and tip are in great condition, and I believe all original. The nickel lining on top of the frog is held in place with pin work and the heel of the frog is one-piece, also indicative of Bausch workmanship. This is a handmade frog with the pearl slide captured by a metal sleeve. It is a beautiful old school violin bow that plays powerfully and smoothly and somehow made its way to the states in the late 19th or early 20th century. The bow is light in the arm, easy to control, and feels as if it grabs the strings. The bow has strength, yes firmness, that is beautiful. The stick handles well and will help any player actively create a better sound. This period bow is a gem and not just a house bow. Yup, another German bow that is awesome. This Bausch bow is all about German quality, which was all about attention to detail, self-discipline to a craft, choice wood selected by the maker, classic color and firmness, and a strong but light stick that will help your violin respond.

Weight fully haired 58.1 grams.