This beautiful viola bow has an elegant gold mounted tortoise-shell frog, offered at a very attractive price.
Rudolf Neudorfer was born and studied bow making in Luby, Czechoslovakia. In 1964 he escaped to the West by posing as a ski instructor at the Innsbruck Olympics. He worked in Switzerland at the Finkel workshop and moved to Bubenreuth in 1973. In the 1980’s he won several awards at various competitions including the VSA.
Herbert Wanka is one of the best known and respected of today’s German bow makers. In 1952 he began his training when German violin and bow makers, mostly refugees from Czechoslovakia were first establishing their workshops in Bubenreuth. He then worked for several years with Gotthard Schuster before opening his own shop in 1971. He was later joined by his son Christian. Although his work still shows some of the qualities of Schuster’s work, his bows have their own personal style.
John Greenwood trained with French Maker Jean Grunberger and with several important masters at the Oberlin workshops. His bows are popular with members of the San Francisco Symphony as well as the SF Ballet and Opera orchestras in addition to professionals in New York City and Atlanta.
The Dölling family of bow makers spans four generations, covering over 125 years. Bernd Dölling apprenticed with his father Heinz passing his Master’s Exam in 1972. He opened his own workshop in 1985 and was joined by his son Michael. The Döllings are are one of the most respected bow making familys in Germany. This viola bow is exceptionally beautiful and is gold mounted. The gold mounted button has pearl eyes on each facet.
Otto Paulus and his son Johannes worked together for many years, taking over the Schuster workshop in the 1950’s. The Paulus family of bow makers is today in its fourth generation, still making excellent bows in Markneukirchen.
After winning a number of gold medals in International bow making competitions, Morgan Andersen has become one of the most important bow makers of his generation.
Read the article on Morgan Andersen here.
The Seifert workshop is one of the most respected German bow making workshops today. This is an especially beautiful bow, gold mounted with highest quality pernambuco. The Seifert workshop was founded almost a century ago in Graslitz, Saxony, moving to Bubenreuth in the 1950’s
Josef Gabriel did his apprenticeship with Alfons Riedel in Bubenreuth. After passing his master’s exam, he opened his Erlangen workshop in 1987. Since then he has won numerous awards and medals including gold medals at the Violin Society of America and Mittenwald competitions.
Emile Dupree bows were made in the Seifert workshops in Bubenreuth primarily for the American market. This is an especially nice example and is gold mounted
From the workshop of Frank Daguin, Lyon.
The Finkel workshop was founded by Siegfried Finkel in the 1950’s. They continue to make exceptional quality bows to this day.
Roger François Lott studied with his father François. His Mirecourt workshop produced high quality bows both under his own name and also for important Parisian makers and dealers such as R.& M. Millant and E.Vatelot.
This exceptional bow was made for Caressa & Français in Paris. The stick is the work of Claude Thomassin and the frog and button is by Jules Fetique. It is fully certified by Raffin.
Nicolas Maline was one of the truly great French bow makers of the 19th century. He was the son and pupil of Guillaume. He then worked for Pajeot alongside Nicolas Maire before opening his own workshop. He supplied bows to J.B. Vuillaume starting in 1840 although he never worked in Paris, and he was actually the first to make bows with the Vuillaume style frog. Vuillaume greatly appreciated his work and many of the bows stamped Vuillaume Paris were actually made by Maline in Mirecourt. The stick of this viola bow is of snakewood.
Charles Bazin was the last member of the great Bazin bow making dynasty. Unlike the previous generation he worked primarily by himself preferring to work with individual clients rather than wholesalers and dealers. This unusually fine gold mounted viola bow is a classic example of his fine work and is facile, strong with a quick response.
After serving his apprenticeship with Cuniot-Hury, François worked in Geneva with Vidoudez before joining Emile F. Ouchard’s workshop. He set up on his own in 1926, retiring in 1960. This bow is accompanied by a Le Canu certificate.
Michael Vann started his career with William Salchow in New York, like a number of today’s best makers. His bows are in the hands of many of today’s top string players. In addition, he has won medals at several major competitions.
The Morizot workshop was founded by Louis Morizot (père) in 1926 and continued on by his six sons. This Morizot viola bow has a strong lively stick producing a great sound.