Nicolas Maire Violin Bow, Mirecourt circa 1850

This is a remarkable bow by Nicolas Maire, one of the most interesting makers of the eariy-mid 19th century. It’s an unusually beautiful and well preserved example, and the sound and the playability are exceptional.

We often talk about the ‘Pajeot-Maire School’ and the two makers’ work can hard to distinguish – Maire seems to have worked closely with Pajeot, first as an apprentice then as a supplier.

This bow has a very fine head model – halfway to being a swan head – which is unique to these two makers. The thumb projection also has a typically elegant throat in which the upper curve ends in a descending motion.

The stick is of round section deep red brown pernambuco of the best quality, slightly veined and with almost no figure. Mounts are silver and ebony.

The overall condition is excellent but there are some minor issues. The silver element to the rear face of the frog has been replaced though the rest of the frog is in a rare state of preservation. The stick has some minimal wear to the top facet of the handle and there’s a small dent behind the head on the player’s side. The button shows numerous small plier marks.

From a player’s perspective this is a dream of a bow, with a full yet brilliant sound and a stick which offers a perfect marriage of nervous energy and control.

Maire sticks always sound great but can sometimes feel a bit saggy in the middle. However, I really can’t find fault with this bow. In fact there’s something unique in the sound which is quite addictive – it’s at once brilliant and transparent and at the same time punchy and firm in its grip on the strings. A rare combination…