Louis Lowendall Sterling Silver Trade Violin Bow- Berlin circa 1900

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Louis Lowendall (1836-1912) was into violins at a young age. His father encouraged this love for the violin. He became interested in construction and the wood used in violin making. At 13 he was enrolled in school at Konigsberg High School, northern Prussia, to enhance his musical studies. At 19 he also became proficient at the cello. He further studied violin and bow making with Bausch and Heinrich Knopf. In 1855 he opened a music retail shop in Berlin where he sold many instruments and bows. He did well as a businessman and is not known as a violin or bow maker. He owned the company and employed very good craftsmen to work for him, having various levels of trade instruments and bows made with his name or brands on the instruments. After six years he left for America, where he befriended George Gemunder, a famous violin maker in New York City. The Gemunder firm purchased many of Lowendall’s instruments, bows, and tonewood. Lowendall spent much time traveling, dividing his time between America and England. He gained contacts for his business and developed relationships while he sold his instruments and bows. He opened a second larger shop, the Star Works Company, in Berlin in 1889 specifically to import instruments and bows to the West.

We have one of those bows. The bow is pernambuco, sterling silver mounted WOW! and in round section. Stamped LOWENDALL, it is a very nice trade bow and a great example of the quality of bows being made by his firm in the early 1900’s. We have meticulously gone over the entire bow, replacing the facial tip with a new tip and a new silver winding with a new leather lapping and thumb grip. The bow is elegant older pernambuco wood and the round section is thin and strong. There is no excess girth on this stick, just tight grain pernambuco. The ebony frog has single mother-of-pearl eyes which are brand new and a new mother-of-pearl slide. The silver lining is held in place with silver pins, no screws. The frog silver heel is one piece and held with silver pins. The bow is finished off with a three-piece end screw and a mother-of-pearl end. The entire bow is a WOW! Balanced, strong, and handles extremely well. Are you looking for a fantastic authentically old bow made by a very skilled unknown maker- give this bow a try.

Weight fully haired 55.0 grams