Otto Wunderlich, interesting German violin bow (silver)

German violin bow, centered, with a precise and warm, large sound with a French character, rich in volume and active in play – a universally applicable bow that is suitable for most violins.

Otto Felix Wunderlich (1873 – ca. 1925) was a violin and bow maker from Markneukirchen in Saxony, where he completed his apprenticeship with C. Richard Mönnig. After stops in Cologne, Amsterdam, and Karlsruhe, he arrived in Moscow in 1896 and founded his own workshop there two years later, becoming an internationally sought-after master craftsman.

After moving to Russia, Otto Wunderlich used the stamp O. F. WUNDERLICH MOSCAU; given the craftsmanship evident in the violin bow offered here with the original OTTO WUNDERLICH stamp, it can therefore be assumed that it was made around 1895. With its extremely fine octagonal stick made of dark reddish-brown pernambuco, this Otto Wunderlich violin bow is an early example of the outstanding standard to which its maker owed his excellent reputation. The original ebony frog, also stamped, is decorated with Parisian eyes, the workmanship of which, like the valuable silver fittings, reveals the masterful hand of Otto Wunderlich. Centrally balanced, this 60.2 g bow offers highly precise, active playing characteristics and, with its large, warm sound, reveals an inner kinship with classic French bow making – a violin bow that is suitable for playing on a wide variety of instruments and perfectly supports their individual qualities.

German violin bow by Otto Wunderlich – brief portrait:

• Exquisite Otto Wunderlich violin bow, probably around 1890
• Original stamp on stick and frog
• High-quality silver fittings
• Parisian eyes and three-piece tailpiece
• Large, warm sound, rich in volume, with a French character