El Duce Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 This bow plays brilliantly and I'm assuming its German as Roman numerals on the frog. Any thoughts as to a maker would be great. Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deans Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 I doubt anyone could attribute it to a maker. Looks like typical trade merchandise sold through the mail order catalogues in early 20th century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Duce Posted March 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 Thanks deans. Appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Jetson Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 That is a kinda neat bow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blank face Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 IMO this is a highly interesting bow. Though I completely agree, that this shape of frog is usually found at fancy decorated catalogue or Dutzendarbeit bows of the ca. 1900 period, this particular piece seems to be much better worked than the usual, especially the head. I can't make out what kind of wood was used, but it doesn't look like common Abeille (brazil) wood. The mop stripe decoration at the end of the stick is a feature of early 1800s Vogtland work, mostly associated with Christian Wilhelm Knopf, but probably used by other makers, too, and copied in later periods. It could be useful to send photos to Klaus Grünke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 I'm with Blank Face - quite an archaic head shape ... Probably the frog doesn't belong to the stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Duce Posted March 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 Thanks Blank Face & Martin. Here are some daylight shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rue Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 Very cool...even if it is "just" a trade bow... Looks well made...no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blank face Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 1 hour ago, martin swan said: I'm with Blank Face - quite an archaic head shape ... Probably the frog doesn't belong to the stick. Hard to say if the frog is original or not - it might depend from the period. I have no clue when this type of frog was designed and if it was a feature of trade bows only. But probably it's a late 19th century invention, and if the stick is older (as it appears to be) than it could be custom ordered. there's no visible gap or misfitting suggesting that it wasn't meant to match the stick. If the bow was made in the first half of the 19th, the original frog possibly had no metal slide, what makes it subject to breakage easily. OTOH, a relative high assembly mark like here usually suggests a large bench, while the head looks extremely neatly made and an ebony liner under the metal face is not common with mass produced bows at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Duce Posted March 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 It is certainly a very good playing bow - I will send some photos to Klaus Grünke. Thank you all for your help and feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GennadyF. Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 It looks to me like a typical 2nd generation Knopf family bow. C.W. Knopf produced four sons who carried on his craft: Christian Wilhelm Jr. (1799-1835), Karl Wilhelm (1803-1860), Christian Friedrich Wilhelm I (1808-1874) and Christian Friedrich Wilhelm II (1815-1897). I'm posting two examples below by Knopf family members: one of the sons of C.W. Knopf (C.W. Jr. or C.F.W. I) and Karl Moritz Knopf: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GennadyF. Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 Incidentally, the Knopf family certainly were inspired by the work of their French counterparts such as this one by Persoit c.1805 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlecollector Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 I agree with whats been said ,a nice Knopf family bow NOT one of the mass produced catalgue bows one often sees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blank face Posted March 12, 2021 Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 It would be interesting to know from @El Duce about Klaus Grüke's opinion, especially if he thought that the frog could be original. I've never seen a Knopf family bow with a similar frog (what doesn't mean at all they don't exist). Thanks for the hint to Pajeot, that's interesting! Confusing that the modern type of head and adjuster don't match the frog, but it appears to be original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vathek Posted March 13, 2021 Report Share Posted March 13, 2021 The frog looks silver mounted to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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