Pierre Simon Violin Bow, Paris circa 1860

Here we have a very pure Pierre Simon violin bow, made for JB Vuillaume circa 1860 and bearing the Vuillaume brand. It’s a refined piece of workmanship, the sound is brilliant and projecting.

Pierre Simon is no stranger here – we have sold a number of his bows and we always try to have several in stock. Although Simon produced some highly decorative bows, the majority of his huge output is solid, workmanlike and reliable, devoid of frills or conceit.

He seems to have survived the hothouse of the Vuillaume shop with his personal style much in evidence. It’s a credit to Vuillaume that he left his bowmakers to do their own thing – the making of violins employed just as many highly talented artisans, yet their personalities were buried under the force of Vuillaume’s own aesthetic.

So, although built on the Vuillaume model with a round underslide and a rounded button, the head remains resolutely Simon – the choice of wood equally typical, the rather plain orange-brown pernambuco that he favoured.

The stick is round section with quite a narrow cross-section in the lower half; mounts are silver and ebony. The condition is excellent throughout.

This is a beautiful sounding bow – crisp and crystalline, devoid of extraneous noise. Quite light and supple without being soft, this is a bow which reflects a very different philosophy from the brutal and emphatic bows of 20th century makers. It has volume and a full core sound, but you have to let it do the work. Like many bows of this period it really comes into its own in the high register, giving air and colour right up into the dusty reaches of the fingerboard.

A superb elegant bow for a sophisticated player.