Non-Stamped BAUSCH Viola Bow Saxony/Markneukirchen Area circa 1870-1880

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For over three centuries, German luthiers have supplied musicians not only with serviceable and affordable instruments but also their bows. This bow is from the late 19th century. From the late 1700’s through 1945 the violin was the most popular form of musical entertainment, next to the piano. To meet the demand, a thriving industry developed in a remote area of eastern Germany near the Czech border, a region known as Western Bohemia. The center of this instrument making industry was the town of Markneukirchen in the state of Saxony. The Bausch family made bows there for four generations beginning with Ludwig Christian August Bausch in 1820’s. The Bausch family made superb bows sold as their own, and marketed unstamped bows to other shops in Germany, such as the Heinrich Knopf workshop. I believe our bow is one of those non-stamped bows. The “BAUSCH” branded bows were still being made while the Bausch shop was under the management of the Paulus family from 1876 up to the 1920’s.

Our Bausch sterling silver pernambuco viola bow is a non-stamped viola bow and without a doubt made with fantastic workmanship. Bow making is three crafts in one: wood working, jewelry work, and hair dressing. It is a very exacting art that few people really excel in. The grain in this stick is tight without flaws and the color is amber orange brown, very consistent with superb clarity. The frog area of the stick is slightly discolored (darker) from the rest of the stick from the decades of playing. This is normal wear and is a good sign that the stick was just oiled in its original form and not varnished. The bow is firm, and the camber starts early from the head. It is finished in sterling mounts and the sterling silver three-piece endscrew has the typical Bausch double rings in the collar of the end cap; another sign of their French making influence. The ebony frog has single abalone eyes with no silver rings. The silver heel of the frog is all one-piece, indicative of Bausch design too. The frog and endscrew are original to the bow. We meticulously went over the entire bow, replacing the deteriorated winding and leather thumb and replaced the bone tip because there was a crack in the facial.

This bow plays powerfully and smoothly. It is a fantastic player, easy to control. The bow is light in the arm and handles off-the-string articulations well. I feel this bow rivals many French viola bows. German sticks don’t get the respect that French bows get. This is an awesome German bow that I feel deserves many accolades. The stick is gorgeous, firm, but full of life. Each increment of the bow is handcrafted with exacting detail. The maker knew his craft and spent many hours on this bow. Many players over the years loved this stick and took great care of the bow. There is little sign of stand concert applause on the tip area of the bow. I’ve had this gem of a bow in my collection of sticks for close to 42 years. Now it is finally completed and ready for another professional player.

Weight fully haired 68.1 grams