Eugène Sartory Violin Bow Paris c.1935

This violin bow was made by Eugène Sartory around 1935 in Paris. Eugène Sartory was one of the most important and influential bow-makers in the artform, with his bows being seen as the endpoint of development, quality, and consistency in the French tradition of François Xavier Tourte. He was born in 1871 in Mirecourt, working as an apprentice with Charles Peccatte, Joseph Alfred Lamy and his father, before establishing his own workshop in 1889. His bows are often heavier and more stable than his earlier contemporaries, well reflecting the growing need for projection and intensity going into the 20th Century. It is well known that one of his main supporters was the inimitable Eugène Ysaÿe, which attests to Sartory's importance both to the tradition of bow-making and to the concept of violin modern performance, just as François Tourte's bows defined the early French School of performance with Viotti, Baillot, and Rode. 

It is stamped "E. Sartory à Paris" and weighs 59.7 grams. The stick is of pernambuco and measures 74.5mm in length, with a silver lapping and leather grip. The frog is of ebony, mounted in silver, with a Parisian eye and a silver button. It is in good condition and is sold with a certificate by Jean-François Raffin. 

This violin bow has a strong, responsive stick, full of sophistication and refinement. It carries a smoothness in every stroke which gives it an undeniably vocal quality, suiting soloistic repertoire just as easily as it does chamber and orchestral work. It shines in the lower register, drawing out every ounce of sound and colour from an instrument, while still retaining its sweetness and delicacy in the upper registers. The spiccato and sautillé are both very comfortable, and more acrobatic strokes like ricochet and slurred staccato are easily accessible. 

Please click here to request a trial of this wonderful French bow.