Lyon & Healy Chicago, delicately engraved silver bow

In the early 20th century, the highly regarded Chicago -based violin shop Lyon & Healy blazed a new trail and began very successfully selling European stringed instruments. The company was established in 1864 and initially specialized in making harps. This silver bow with its finely engraved decoration was one of the ones they imported. The bow still bears the stamp “LION & HEALY CHICAGO” and was made by an unknown German craftsman (as a second stamp on the underside of the stick confirms), probably in Markneukirchen. The German tradition of excellent craftsmanship is not only evident in the bow's very fine features — tastefully engraved fittings of genuine silver and a mother-of-pearl eye on the ebony frog — but in the quality of the thick round stick of lovely reddish-brown pernambuco. With its very well distributed weight and thickness, the 60.0 g Lyon & Healy bow has a length of 74.5 cm and has a broad, centrally positioned balance point that inclines slightly towards the tip. It was made ready to play in our workshop and creates a bright and powerful sound that is somewhat gentle but very precise.