Kittel model gold mounted pernabuco viola bow by Ma Rong-Di, largely considered as China's pre-emminent bow maker.

Ma Rong-Di was born in Shanghai and studied violin playing as a teenager. He began performing with a local military symphony orchestra as a violinist in 1973. He was steered to bow making as a result of having to repair an accidentally broken bow, and with success at that task came an increasing interest in bow making. He produced his first violin bow in 1986. Though self-taught, he benefitted from receiving critical instructions from Maestro Kuang-Xiang Chen. After Chen departed for Japan, he continued to develop professionally, no doubt aided by his considerable talent and a relentless desire to learn. He obtained four certificates of merit for a quartet of bows submitted to the 12th VSA Competition 1996. He was awarded gold prizes both for his violin bow and viola bow, and got the highest mark for workmanship of cello bow at the 2nd CIVMC 2013.