German “Dodd” copy, silver-mounted violin bow

Along with James Tubbs, John Dodd is considered England’s pre-eminent bow maker, working at a time when the modern “Tourte” style bow was still establishing itself west of the English Channel. This German bow, while owing little to the gracefulness of Dodd’s work, is a good example of the higher grade “Dodd”-stamped bows produced in their thousands by the large Vogtland bow-making workshops of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The octagonal, pernambuco stick is made of well-selected wood and the silver mounts confirm that this is a better playing bow than many sporting the same name.