Bowmodel 01

This bow (SAM74), originally from the Castello del Catajo near Padua, is now a part of the Este Collection in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The wood of the original bow stick is probably from a non-European hardwood. (Possibly pernambuco?) The frog is the so called clip-in frog and probably made of the same material as the bow stick. The length of the bow is only 501 mm, this is the shortest in the Este collection.
The type of bow tip is pike head, very sharp and slender. The bow stick does not taper evenly towards the tip. It has an overall horizontal cylindrical shape and is thicker on the frog side. (The horizontal side is thicker than the vertical).

Type of wood

This original bow was probably made from non-European wood, but European wood was also commonly used for bows in the 16th and 17th centuries, when this bow was made. I have therefore made several bows based on the same model as this bow, using European woods. (Wood includes yew, larch, plum, walnut and cherry, ebony, etc.).
Differences in weight, hardness and elasticity related to wood characteristics are probably more noticeable during performance than differences in dimensions.
My research concerns the choice of wood in terms of suitability for a musical piece, as well as choices based on playing technique and performer sensitivity.

Colouring technique

An interesting aspect of the use of different woods is their colouration. Paintings from this period show bows in a variety of colours. I assume that these colour differences are probably related not only to differences in the colour of the original wood itself, but also to the techniques used at the time, such as staining, dyes and surface treatments to protect the wood.
So I would study what techniques were used at the time and put into practice what the colours would actually look like.

Specific information

Length:

501mm  (original)

Weight:

ca. 34g (original)

Material:

Stick: non-European wood
Frog: same as stick (original)

My bows:

Stick: Yew, Larch, Plum, Ebony, Walnut, Cherry, etc.
Frog: Boxwood,Plum, Rosewood etc.

*Original data quoted from "Streichbogen" by Rudolf Hopfner