Images from The Rawlins Gallery King Charles IV Violin Bow Attributed to Stradivari Workshop, Cremona, ca. 1700 NMM 4882. Violin bow attributed to the workshop of Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, ca. 1700. Ex colls.: Charles IV of Spain; W. E. Hill & Sons, London. Arne B. and Jeanne F. Larson Fund, 1989. This bow is one of but two bows (the other in a private collection in London) attributed to the workshop of Antonio Stradivari. It has a fluted stick, perhaps inlaid later (probably in the mid-eighteenth century) in Spain, with colored fruitwoods. This side of the bow's later mahogany frog (made before 1788) is inlaid with the Royal Coat-of-Arms of Spain in honor of King Charles IV (r. 1788-1808). The bow was said to have been found at the Spanish court with a set of instruments made by Stradivari. The "swan-head" design is typical of bows of this period. The monogram of King Charles IV is inlaid on the opposite side of the frog. This bow was shown at the international exhibition in Cremona in 1987 to mark the 250th anniversary of Stradivari's death.   Click arrow to continue Rawlins Gallery Tour Go to Rawlins Gallery Tour Index Go to Virtual Tour Index Related Links Individual Instruments Guitar, The Rawlins, by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1700 Mandolin, The Cutler-Challen, by Stradivari, Cremona, 1680 Violin, The Harrison, by Stradivari, Cremona, 1693 Bass Viola da Gamba, Stradivari Workshop, Cremona, ca. 1730 (Violoncello Conversion ca. 1835-1850) Checklists Checklist of Bowed Stringed Instruments Made Before 1800 Checklist of 16th- and 17th-Century Instruments National Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion, SD   57069 ©National Music Museum, 1996-2006 Most recent update:   October 24, 2007 You are the 16,558th visitor to this page. The University of South Dakota Return to Top of Page