Violin Bow

Henry Richard Knopf

late 19th or early 20th century · Pernambuco, silver, leather, ivory, ebony, silver, mother-of-pearl, horsehair · Musical Instruments

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.

Artist

Henry Richard Knopf

Date

late 19th or early 20th century

Medium

Pernambuco, silver, leather, ivory, ebony, silver, mother-of-pearl, horsehair

Culture

American

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

Gift of Samuel and Eva Eisenstein, 1983