Original Bows from 1680 to 1860



Original Bows - frogs 
 
Original Bows -tips
     

1. Corelli-style sonata bow, late 17th C. (the tip has been damaged)

2. Corelli-style sonata bow, late 17th C. This is a twin to the above, but the tip is intact. Both bows were built by the same bowmaker and have been together since their creation!

3. Violoncello bow, 18th C., fluted stick with ivory frog

4. Treble viola da gamba bow (perhaps?), snakewood, fluted stick, ivory frog and button. This bow is very long, which means it could be a treble viol bow, but it could also be a long sonata bow.

5. Bow for a pardessus de viole, Flemish or French, beginning of the 18th C. This bow was purchased together with the Flemish Pardessus, which is why we can be certain of the attribution to this instrument.

6. Cramer-style hatchet-head bow

7. Standard "modern" violin bow, possibly French, ca. 1860 (Maline?)

At present there are around thirty original bows from the 17th and 18th C. These include two Corelli-style bows (1, 2 above) from around 1680, three long Italian sonata bows of the early 18th C., three hatschet-head bows by Dodd, two by Tourte Père, an original bow for pardessus de viole, several viola and violoncello and violone bows, two bass viola da gamba bows, several bows for violone. Many of these bows have already been copied by several makers of historical bows.

There will be a large number of photos of the other original bows in the collection within a short period of time. Do check back if you are interested...

Historical Bows of the Vazquez Collection: complete catalogue

Modern Historical Bows by Antonino Airenti

Modern Historical Bows by Scott Wallace

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updated 14.10.2007