Etched Pearl Markneukirchen Non-Stamped Trade Violin Bow- Exceptional Workmanship circa 1900

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The pernambuco stick is firm and the stick has no wasted girth. The bow is thin, well measured with more gradual camber. This is a dense piece of wood that is old growth pernambuco and chocolate color. The tree would have been growing in Brazil in the early 1800’s, harvested, cut, and transported to the Markneukirchen area, dried for another 15-20 years and then selected to be made into a bow. The craftsmanship of the bow is above the norm. It was made in a workshop that did excellent work but in an era that did not have its journeymen makers stamp their bows. This bow was made at the turn of the century in the Markneukirchen area. There is no name on the bow and no origin stamped either. This is a bow that was made by someone with a lot of experience. Apprentices and journeymen worked long hours in a workshop, farmer hours. They didn’t worry about acknowledgement; they worked these long hours to perfect their craft. I’ve had this bow for a long time. Purchased it as a young teenager because of the etched pearl eyes and the mother-of-pearl slide in the 1970’s. I’ve been gradually getting all the bows in the workshop restored, worked up, haired, and ready for the showroom. I spent much time on this bow, cleaning, oiling, and giving it a new facial tip in tip armor. Also, a new nickel silver winding with a leather thumb grip. On average, I restore one of my own bows for the show room each week.

The bow is light in the hand, and I laid into the stick to see what it can do on a violin. It performed well and handles off-the-string stuff too. To recap, this bow is old, in very good condition, pernambuco, round in section, nickel silver mounted, and with flower petal designs etched into the mother-of-pearl eyes, heel, and slide. The end button is a one-piece silver cap. The nickel mounts are typical for a workshop trade bow of the early 1900’s. The frog lining has one pin to secure the lining to the frog. I enjoyed working on the bow, another sleeper from the collection that will make a violin and its strings respond.

Weight fully haired 55.1 grams