JA Lamy Violin Bow, Paris circa 1910

Another very fine Lamy violin bow, this one dating from around 1910 and showing some stylistic traits of the young HC Lamy. A tremendous playing bow combining clarity, power and elegance.

Joseph Alfred Lamy achieved great recognition during his working life, and he is still regarded as one of the greatest craftsmen in bow-making history. The line of succession from late Voirin through JA Lamy to Sartory is one of the most important and inspired.
At the time this bow was made, two of Joseph’s sons (Georges Léon and Hippolyte Camille) were apprenticed to him, and we can see some points of style which show how the Lamy bow was evolving. If we compare with a bow from 1890 for example, the stick graduations are thinner (the wood is denser), the head has flatter cheeks and narrower chamfers, and the pearl slide of the frog is narrower.

This bow has a round stick of red-brown pernambuco with a subtle random figure. Mounts are silver and ebony.

The bow is in excellent condition with no wear to the facets – there’s a tiny nibble to the stick just behind the head (player’s side) and a small loss of ebony on the bottom corner of the frog (also player’s side).

You know I’m going to say that this bow is an excellent player, and perhaps you’re wondering : can all our bows can really be so good? Of course they are – that’s why we acquire them and why we choose to offer them. We’re simply not interested in selling bows that aren’t excellent in all respects.

Lamy bows aren’t always easy to use – some can be unwieldy, somehow feeling overlong – but this one is ideal. The action is crisp and surgical, the sound broad and beautiful. Very responsive, just the right side of stiff, a bow that disappears in the hand… Highly recommended.