Images(4)

Violin bow

Date1770-1780 ca.

Place MadeFrance, Europe

Serial No.none

DescriptionThis bow has a hatchet-type head characteristic of the late 18th century and an early, though non-matching frog.

Stick: round; ironwood
Head: hatchet shaped head; tapered nose; rounded outline to back edge
Handle: no nipple; rounded upper side; lower side flat, likely originally had a bone or ivory plate; bone square and strip inlaid into upper side
Frog: boxwood; no slide; decoratively cut ends; made for stick with raised guide on underside; possibly from another bow
Adjuster: boxwood; no facets
Tip plate: ivory
Wrapping: none
Grip: none

Dimensions712 mm long
Stick length: 693 mm
Head height: 21.1 mm
Head width (bottom): 9.9 mm
Stick width near tip: 5.3 mm (top to bottom); 5.2 mm (side to side)
Stick width near middle: 8.1 mm (top to bottom); 7.9 mm (side to side)
Stick width at end of handle: 7.3 mm (top to bottom); 8.3 mm (side to side)
Frog height: 17.6 mm (front); 15.8 mm (back)
Frog length (top): 51.1 mm
Frog length (bottom): 50.2 mm
Frog width (top): 7.2 mm (front); 7.7 mm (back)
Frog width (bottom): 9.9 mm (front); 8.5 mm (back)
Weight (without hair): 36.8 grams

ProvenanceAcquired by Laurence Witten from E. M. W. Paul, London, 1964.
Purchased by the National Music Museum from Laurence Witten Family, New Haven, Connecticut, 1984.

Credit LineWitten-Rawlins Collection, 1984

Object number03397

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