Vuillaume A Paris- Mirecourt Violin Bow circa 1890-1900

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Stamped:

This is a restoration of a Mirecourt violin bow I have had in my collection since the late 1970’s. The collection of bows I gathered as a young kid, piles of sticks, has been a bit overwhelming. Occasionally, I would pull a few sticks out and get to work on them. The stoppage of pernambuco wood and bows from Brazil put a fire in me to get these sticks worked up and completed. The Covid months allowed me many hours to work alone, prioritize the collection, and review boxloads of bows. As a young kid growing up in the New York/New Jersey Metro area I lived and breathed baseball, umpiring, and all things related to violin. I was totally into instruments and bows and with my dad I spent many weekends collecting and purchasing string instruments. This French bow has been sitting waiting for attention for almost 45 years. I’m now getting to restore these bows and bringing them back to life.

Bows were not always considered as important as they are today. The future of bow making changed in the small city of Mirecourt in the 18th century. Located in the Northeast Vosges region of France, Mirecourt drove innovation in bow making and influenced French bow making from the Baroque period to the modern day. By 1732, the Mirecourt luthiers were numerous enough to establish their own guild. The guild established strict quality controls for instruments, which encouraged Mirecourt’s violin makers to develop their skills to the highest possible level. The increased international trade of the 18th century gave Mirecourt luthiers two other important edges in the industry: the city’s role as a commercial center in France and access to quality Pernambuco wood from Brazil. Records from 1756 reveal bow making began to assert itself as its own craft in Mirecourt. Although bows remained anonymous and were not always stamped with their maker’s brand, bow making finally stepping into the forefront.

Our stamped “Vuillaume A Paris” violin bow was actually made in the famous town of Mirecourt, not Paris. From 1800 – 1935 Mirecourt employed over 3000 workers in the violin trade from apprentices to journeyman makers. The bow is stamped with one of the most famous names of the industry – a great marketing tip for a bow made in Mirecourt. We have meticulously gone over the entire stick and replaced the nickel silver winding and leather thumb. The tip, frog and endscrew are original to the stick. The pernambuco specie is gorgeous, older, darker wood, round in section, clear and straight. The stick is semi-firm and handles well. The frog has single large 6.0 mm eyes with nickel mounts, typical of the period. The ferule is very conical in its shape. The ebony frog has rounded chamfers and has a smooth feel from years of playing. The frog lays in a track carved out in the stick. This is a lightweight bow, nicely balanced and doesn’t feel that light which is hard to explain. This is a beautiful French bow, great quality, choice stick, unique “rounded” frog and standout color in the pearl slide. The bow has no issues and plays even better than it looks. This will be a great addition to your bow collection.

Weight fully haired 59.9 grams