Violin Bow

late 19th or early 20th century

Not on view

Henry Knopf was the son of the renowned bow maker Heinrich Knopf of Markneukirchen, Germany. Henry learned from his father and then studied bow making in both Dresden and Berlin. Henry Knopf moved to the United States in 1879 and established his own workshop in New York City the following year.

Technical description: German style, octagonal pernambuco stick with very brittle yellow varnish, silver on silk and brown leather wrapping, French tip with trapezoidal mortise, ivory headplate, ebony liner, ebony frog with prismatic guide, silver underside, silver ferrule, mother-of-pearl slide and eye (left-side eye missing), bent silver heelplate, octagonal silver-covered button.

Artwork Details

Title: Violin Bow
Maker: Henry Richard Knopf (American, born Markneukirchen, Germany, 1860–1939 New York City)
Date: late 19th or early 20th century
Geography: New York, New York, United States
Culture: American
Medium: Pernambuco, silver, leather, ivory, ebony, silver, mother-of-pearl, horsehair
Dimensions: Length of stick: 73.1 cm (28-1/2 in.)
Length of hair 65.7 cm (25-2/3 in)
Weight 54.9 gm
Classification: Chordophone-Accessories-bow
Credit Line: Gift of Samuel and Eva Eisenstein, 1983
Object Number: 1983.467
Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

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