John Dodd was an English bow maker active in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The catalog evidence documents his production of violin and viola bows across a range of specifications and materials. His bows feature round sticks with various frog materials—rosewood, ebony, and ivory—and demonstrate the technical refinements characteristic of the period, including adjusters with silver bands and specialized head designs such as the Cramer model [1][2][3]. Dodd's stamped signatures appear on both handle and frog, establishing his maker's mark [1][2]. The weight range of documented examples (49–74 grams) reflects differentiation by instrument type and construction detail, consistent with professional workshop practice of the era.
Sources: [{"index":1,"url":"https://ingleshayday.com/notable-sales-instrument/a-silver-mounted-viola-bow-by-john-dodd/","description":"Silver-mounted viola bow by John Dodd; rosewood frog with pearl shields, silver bands stamped Betts/Betts London"},{"index":2,"url":"https://ingleshayday.com/notable-sales-instrument/a-silver-mounted-violin-bow-by-john-dodd/","description":"Silver-mounted violin bow by John Dodd; ebony frog, adjuster stamped Dodd"},{"index":3,"url":"https://ingleshayday.com/notable-sales-instrument/an-ivory-mounted-violin-bow-by-john-dodd/","description":"Ivory-mounted violin bow by John Dodd; Cramer head, ivory frog, bone adjuster"}]
We track 3 instrument(s) attributed to John Dodd in our database.
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