Violin Bow
Unknown Artist
mid-19th century
Medium
Pernambuco, leather, ivory, ebony, silver, mother-of-pearl, horsehair
Dimensions
Length of stick 73.2 cm (28-13/16 in.) Length of hair 65.3 cm (25-13/16 in.) Weight 57.6 gm.
Classification
Chordophone-Accessories-bow
Culture
French
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William Winternitz, 1991
Accession Number
1991.28.4
Art Historical Context
This elegant violin bow, crafted in mid-19th-century France an unknown artist, exemplifies pinnacle of lutherie craftsmanship during the Romantic era. Measuring 73.2 cm in stick length and weighing a precise 57.6 grams, it features a stick of pernambuco—a dense, resilient Brazilian wood prized for its strength, elasticity, and ability to produce a clear, powerful tone. The frog, likely made of ebony with silver mounts and mother-of-pear inlays, is wrapped in leather for grip, while ivory accents and horsehair bowing complete its luxurious construction. In the French bow-making tradition, insp...