FN Voirin Violin Bow, Paris circa 1880

This is a very fine silver-mounted FN Voirin in excellent condition – it’s an exceptional player, elegant and refined in conception but with a strong stick and a brilliant tone.

Apart from FX Tourte, there is surely no maker who has had more influence on the evolution of the bow than FN Voirin. He brought a level of elegance and perfection to bow-making which was quite new, and everyone who came after Voirin stands somehow in his shadow.

This bow is another great example of his work – precise, minimal, harmonious.

The stick is of round section red-brown pernambuco with a subtle flame, mounts are silver and ebony.

The condition is very good – there’s a bit of wear to the top facet of the handle, otherwise the bow is unusually well preserved.

Voirin bows are very highly regarded for their tonal qualities, but many are on the light side or just seem too flexible for modern technique. This has slightly held back Voirin’s reputation as a maker, but if you can find an example that has a strong stick then it’s hard to conceive of a better bow.

This one represents the holy grail for Voirin – over 60 grams, nervy yet powerful, and with a brilliant and projecting tone. Great off the string properties, very controllable yet still exciting. As with all the best Voirins, it brings detail and clarity without sacrificing warmth… this is most noticeable on the E string which sounds at once creamy and brilliant, but it applies to the entire register.

A real dream of a bow!