A busy month in the workshop

As you can see it has been a productive month in the workshop with three delightful new bows coming in from Switzerland, France and Germany. If you browse the fine bows section there are more details. Don’t hesitate to get in touch via email. 

If you are resident in the United Kingdom be aware finance schemes are available and interest free.

During these trying Coronavirus times why not seek solace artistically by upgrading your bow for greater artistic freedom?

See below the characteristic Tourte inspired head of a fine late James Tubbs bow, all the usual idiosyncrasies are present.

Summer sale

As is the tradition look carefully through the stock for a very real bargain. Many musicians have seen dozens of concerts cancelled, here, is a way of sustaining and helping them on their way.

Lamy pere

James Tubbs

Eugene Sartory

Eugene Sartory

Peter Hembrough Bows is very proud to offer these bows to the discerning violinist in search for the unique. The bows are Lamy pere, James Tubbs, and a sensational Gold and Tortoiseshell mounted Eugene Sartory. All three are a real joy to play!

Happy summer!

This month we remember the irreplaceable Bernard Millant

Bernard Millant - 13th May 1929 - 5th April 2017

Here is the delightful Bernard Millant chastising me for getting the date slightly wrong on the patent Vuillaume brought out on his self re-hairing bow (26th Feb 1836). How I miss those long conversations about makers, especially the ones he knew as a child, Sartory and Emile Auguste Ouchard. Thank you Bernard!

Delightful Joseph Arthur Vigneron pere arrives circa 1895

Increasingly difficult to source here is a rare opportunity indeed, careful scrutiny of the photo below shows it has the most attractive figure the length of the bow.

It is probably the only one of its type and is highly collectable. There is very minor damage near the head and this is secured by some nylon binding. Complete with a Raffin certificate, weighing 59.9g this is a wonderful bow by one of the greatest makers,

Available now with our easy payment scheme

£6,500

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Misza enjoys a delightful combination

Misza is fortunate to play on a Landolfi, I used a Landolfi for a number of years and still remember it's unique qualities. He has selected a top of the range Persoit bow from us to be its partner in his musical endeavours. We wish him well with his wonderful combination!

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Two exhibition Sartory bows meet up after 110 years apart

It is noticeable that once again Sartory prices are are on the rise, Understandably so in a worldwide bow market where the pressure on prices shows no sign whatsoever of calming down.

It was a pleasure to have these two Exhibition bows together for a few days. There are two Gold and Tortoiseshell Sartory bows available from August at Peter Hembrough Bows. It is an honour to offer them to the discerning violinist capable of lateral thinking.

Bernard Millant 1929-2017

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This month we remember our true friend....the wonderful Bernard Millant

Every moment with him was a pure joy, an adventure together, of discovery and pleasure.  For people outside the close knit dealer community it is tempting to think of dealers as people who are fond of money.  For the true dealer this is not the case, necessary yes, funding for the next purchase. The true dealer is trying all the time to learn and help others discover the wonderful world of french bow making at its best.

There is one more, very important attribute to being a fine dealer and that is friendship with your colleagues from all over the world.  I have known many for over twenty-five years now, I value their help and friendship keenly.

This month we have a delightful Viola bow made recently by Michael J Taylor, in mint unused condition.  A superb Francois Xavier Tourte model made by the United Kingdom's greatest living maker.  As Bernard said....'Michael is one of the best'...I could not agree more.

Of course after the sale of the last two early Sartory bows a few weeks ago I have a new Sartory with a clavette repair to the head from 1905-1908 period, just sensational in all respects. The Taylor is £4,800 the Sartory £10,000. Both rather rare they won’t be here too long!

Enjoy an early Sartory in spring 2019

Peter Hembrough Bows are pleased and proud to offer two early rare bows by Eugene Sartory, both with some damage so possible for the working violinist. Dating from 1893 and 1895 complete with certificates from Jean-Francois Raffin of Paris they are truly a delight to use.

The earlier bow is clearly very close in design to his mentor of this time Joseph Lamy pere although the choice of pernambuco is quintessentially Sartory. It is rare to see bows made by him so early as he would have been in his early twenties. Of course the great thing about early bows is that he made them and not the group that worked for him once he became so successful.

Note that the later bow is in Vuillaume style, wonderful and super rare. In thirty years as a bow dealer I have only seen three. I was involved in selling the ex Szigeti example in the U S A a few years ago, it sold for $28,000.

Do get in touch if you have a love for Sartory, Happy New Year!

Both sold with thanks March 2019 keep watching for new stock!

Stunning early Lafleur bow stays for three days before being sold

Here is a wonderful example of one of the very best early makers Joseph Rene Lafleur. Made around 1830 there is something magical about the best bows from this period in that the makers are aware of the dominance of the great Francois Xavier Tourte, He is at this point still making and a major influence in Paris, he died in 1835.

At the same time each great maker is searching to find  their own model, often a variant on Tourte. At first sight some of these concepts may seem not to be aesthetically perfect, thinking of say Persoit. This is of course an error. We must just train our eyes to understand more. Once the initial ignorance has lifted thus great beauty is encountered. Ignorance is a dangerous presence when studying bows and makers output.

This bow is travelling next week to its lucky new owner, a recitalist and quartet leader in northern Spain, He will enjoy the companionship of a superb and extremely rare bow in his musical endeavours and I wish him, and the bow well.

A fine Dominique Peccatte arrives from France circa 1860

Just over the last year or so sales behind the scenes have often been of earlier makers, notably F. X. Tourte and Persoit.  Today I am delighted to announce the arrival of this very fine Dominique Peccatte bow, complete with a certificate from Jean-Francois Raffin. Details shall soon be in the fine bows section, what a delight to see his characteristic 'S' shape to the front ridge on the head in the photograph to the right.

SUMMER SALES!

As I have done over the last ten years if you look in the fine bows section you shall see several bows have new 'summer sale' prices! Also be aware that very fine violins are available and a couple of very high specification Musafia cases are here for the discerning violinist....Happy Summer!

A most attractive Eugenio Degani

Although a bow dealer I do often find first class instruments for violinist, most recently a superb Hannibale Fagnola.

Here for instance, is the most attractive Eugenio Degani I have ever seen, in first class condition. Surely any serious violinist would be delighted to play on such an instrument.

 It is available to try in a custom made recital hall in the Cotswolds area along with the other instruments in my violin section. It is always such a relief for a violinist when they have found their ideal violin, a fine Degani is tough to beat! 

£58,000 with a built in easy payment scheme.

Happy 2018

Happy new year to all who visit Peter Hembrough Bows.  

Here is a rare and beautiful item from Victor Fetique's shop on Rue Myrha in Paris. He moved into this shop in 1913 and stayed there until his death in 1933. Just the thing to keep your treasured Fetique in when not in use. 

Just like today Fetique was concerned to keep these travel cases for bows as small as possible  in order that full size bows could travel in safety when being delivered to new owners. To do this Fetique undid the button and then screwed it into the now slightly moved frog adjacent to the handle, this saved about eight millimetres in length.

Today this is a rare and much prized item

£1,200

Peter Hembrough Bows - ten year celebration

Musafia cases arrive

To mark the ten year celebration of Peter Hembrough Bows two top specification Musafia cases have arrived.

I have had a long and happy relationship with this case company and we together decided to design a Musafia just for this occasion, unlike any other and with their own certification. Rare to the UK due to worldwide demand I am delighted they are here for the discerning musician to buy at £1,650.

Weighing just 2.6kg they are wonderfully light but massively strong and if you cherish your violin and bows I cannot think of a better case to protect them during transit.

If you are keen then contact us quickly because whenever I stock Musafia I dont have them for long.....although it is my ten year anniversary I have been selling fine french bows for a shocking forty years this year!

1670 Francesco Rugeri

Here is the most delightful Cremonese violin by the great Francesco Rugeri. When you have the opportunity to help people buy instruments of this calibre all you can do is smile.

The table on this violin is of special note given its tremendous patina. It has a large personality when played and it reminds you of a very fine Italian car in that when you put your foot down on the accelerator there is plenty of power in reserve.

 

Michael Taylor reminisces about Jean-Jacques Millant

There is little doubt, given the passage of time, that after the death of Eugene Sartory in 1946 the mantle of greatest living bow maker fell upon two very different personalities, Emile Auguste Ouchard and the reclusive Jean-Jacques Millant. In 1997, one year before Millant's death the renowned British bow maker Michael Taylor and the American bow collector Sidney Bowden paid him a visit at his shop in Paris.

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