Eugène Sartory Cello Bow, Paris circa 1910 (mounts not original)

Eugène Sartory is probably the most popular maker of all time, and his bows are the mainstay of professional musicians the world over. Here we have a very fine cello stick from his best period, very well preserved and of an ideal weight. The mounts are well-fitting copies, probably made for the bow.

Later Sartory bows can be on the heavy side, but examples from this middle period are always well judged. The wood on this bow is remarkable – deep orange brown pernambuco of round section with a strong and dramatic figure. The condition is very good – the stick has a very few minor nibbles to the varnish, the frog has one tiny repaired crack at the top of the player’s side, and the adjuster has a few dents.