Two remarkable cello bows, two remarkable bow makers

The collaboration between the brothers ended c.1800 when F.X. Tourte moved to 10 Quai de l’École from where he worked until c.1830. By this time, Tourte had established the ‘modern’ camber, the all-important ferrule for the frog (to keep the hair ribbon evenly spread) and the pearl slide and metal back-plates. The culmination of Tourte’s artistry and craftsmanship can be seen in the bows of this period.

The cello bow being offered here was probably made c.1810 and is relatively unusual in that it is one of Tourte’s ‘violin head’ models. (During this period, Tourte experimented with the form of the cello bow heads, making models from the classic, rugged ‘hatchet head’ style, to the enlarged version of a violin bow head, with variants of these in between). The head of this bow has been extraordinarily well preserved, allowing us to study the unaltered design and working mannerisms of the master. The silver headplate is original and it is nice to see the one-piece ebony lining without blemishes. Although it could be said that the violin head models are the most delicate of Tourte’s cello bows, there remains, nonetheless a certain ruggedness in the overall form ant the cut of the chamfers.

The stick is round in section, made from the dense type of pernambuco that permitted Tourte to produce the remarkable bows that exemplified his magical ratio between resilience and elasticity. The dimensions of the stick produce a very elegant aesthetic, yet the handle is classically robust in form. Although it has clearly been much loved by players over the years, it has remained in very good condition.

Unfortunately the original frog has been lost and the bow currently bears an anonymous (repaired) frog. The button, however, is probably original to the bow.

Dominique Peccatte

(b.1810; d. 1874)

It would seem likely that Dominique Peccatte had undertaken some training in bowmaking in his native Mirecourt before his departure for Paris in 1826: J. B. Vuillaume had asked his brother François to recommend an appropriate young man as an apprentice for his Parisian establishment and Peccatte must have been able to demonstrate a certain aptitude for the craft. Thus he joined the already successful Vuillaume where – oral tradition states – he was trained by J.P.M. Persoit.

Peccatte’s tenure with Vuillaume lasted for around ten years, during which he made many extremely fine bows, the first of these clearly having been inspired by Persoit. Towards the end of this period Peccatte made many self-rehairing bows while developing his own ‘hatchet’ head design that would ultimately inspire many great bowmakers of his own and future generations.

After leaving Vuillaume’s workshop c. 1837, Peccatte began an association with François Lupot II (who is attributed with the introduction of the underslide c. 1825). Lupot died in 1838 and Peccatte became the successor of his shop, making a prolific number of bows there until his return to Mirecourt in 1847. Thereafter, he continued to make bows of great quality, supplying Parisian shops (including Vuillaume) and his own clients until c. 1865.