Gorgeous German Violin Bow by Gustav Prager circa 1910

Branded:

Gustav Prager studied with his father, Fredrich Wilhelm, and opened his own shop in 1893 in the town of Landwust, which is near Markneukirchen. The bows Gustav Prager made were highly valued on the music market of the time. The Prager’s were another making family that helped establish the Markneukirchen region as a powerhouse for fine instruments, and 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. It shows typical Prager style, especially in the head. The upright model head has a lightly round peak, and the nose has been worked down to a rather sharp tip. The chamfers on the back of the head are more inwardly inclined to the center of the back of the head. The bow has single mother-of-pearl eyes, a fully-lined ebony frog, and an endscrew of equal parts sterling silver and ebony. The bow is pernambuco specie, octagonal in section, and mounted in sterling silver. This 110-year-old bow is in very good condition and will help draw out the sound in a fine player’s instrument. An excellent German bow from a highly sought-after maker.

Weight fully haired 61.2 grams.