Kurt Dölling Violin Bow Erlbach, Germany circa 1955

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Kurt Dölling (1909-1990) was born in Erlbach, Germany into a family with a background in tailoring; despite this he embarked on a distinctive journey in the realm of bow making. Despite sharing a surname with the renowned Markneukirchen bow-making dynasty led by Otto Dölling, Kurt had no familial ties to them. He began in the trade of bow making under the mentoring of Hermann Todt in Erlbach from 1924 to 1927. He also had an apprenticeship with the C. A. Hoyer firm in Markneukirchen before joining the prestigious workshop of Emil Max Penzel in Erlbach. It was during this period with E. M. Penzel that Kurt’s craftsmanship shot up in a linear line, leaving an indelible imprint on his future endeavors.

Kurt completed his master’s examination in bow making in Markneukirchen in 1939. After serving in WW II, he became a prisoner of war. He survived the war and in 1946 returned to his hometown of Erlbach, opening his own shop in 1949, where he worked until the end of his life. Kurt’s bows exhibit individual style but also classic early 20th century German bow making traditions. I notice his work in the frog, heel, turns in the button, and the carefully engineered layout of the stick itself. Kurt made bows for all instrumentation in the orchestra early in his career. Towards the end of his making career his making was dominated by making bass bows.

Our violin bow is in very good condition: pernambuco specie, sterling silver mounted, and in octagonal section. We have gone over the entire bow, giving the bow new tip in tip armor, and saving the original silver winding while capturing that winding with a new lapping and a new thumb leather. The frog is a traditional Parisian eye model and the endscrew button is three pieces. The stick has great bones, is balanced well, and is firm enough to be a great bow for a professional player.

Weight fully haired 61.3 grams