Here is a fabulous early octagonal Hill bow by the great maker William Napier 1848-1932. Stamped W. E. H. & S it is the second grade Hill bow just below the fully branded Hill bow. These understated bows have always interested me in that it is almost like the makers had slightly more freedom to express themselves with these bows. It has some damage, a small glued break about 4 cms. from the head and the head is pinned (the pins are hidden) thus giving a violinist on a budget a superb early Hill for a good value lower price, you can’t even see the damage! There is something glorious about these early Hill bows, a Victorian grace that is a joy to behold.
£1,200
Here is a photograph of William Napier working on his bows in the Hill Hanwell workshops. His metalworking skills were poor, as can be seen on the photograph below, also note, he used no marking system on the silver face, Samuel Allen also used no markings here. This bow can be identified as Napier senior by the distinctive shape of the head as well as these earlier attributes.
Available late July ‘23
