Bowed Mandolin 1880 - 1920

This is Joseph Collingwood's "Bowed Mandolin," a unique instrument crafted from wood, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Collingwood, active in the late 1800s and early 1900s, lived through a period of significant industrialization that led to new forms of musical expression. The mandolin, traditionally associated with European folk music, takes on a different tone in Collingwood’s hands. Bowed rather than plucked, its sound may evoke an uncanny feeling. Its dark wood and unconventional shape perhaps mirrors the changing societal landscape of the time. In those days, instruments like the mandolin allowed for the democratization of music. The instrument stands as a testament to the evolving dialogue between tradition and innovation, while offering a glimpse into the cultural shifts of an era marked by both progress and uncertainty.