German Violin Bow Stamped TOURTE- Markneukirchen/Saxony circa 1890-1900

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Stamped:

This handmade violin bow is simply beautiful. The is no stamp of country of origin. François Xavier Tourte (1748-1835) from Paris was the most important figure in the history of modern bow making. His bows are exquisite and command very high prices because of their extraordinary craftsmanship, elegance, and appreciation by the finest players. He worked from 1775 until his 85th year. His workshop was known all over the world and as an owner he hired the best bow makers and instrument makers he could find. Tourte was considered the author of the modern bow. Sticks were lengthened, their shape became concave in relationship to the hair and screws, and metal ferrules were added to allow for the adjustment for tension of the hair. All Tourte innovations!

The custom for many shops from the mid-1800’s and the up until the 1920’s was to stamp bows with famous makers names, especially French names. Marketing 101 back in the late 1800’s to sell a bow. Our Tourte bow was made in a German workshop and is stamped TOURTE but with no country of origin. The stick is pernambuco, the much sought after wood only found in Brazil. It is chocolate color, old stuff, and the stick is firm. Firm, yet the stick is slightly thinner in its entire length. As the maker works with the wood, he can tell how much he can taper down the thickness of the pernambuco. It’s the wood and the artist’s knowledge of the medium he’s working in that determines how far the maker goes with the carving and shaping of the stick. The stick is a WOW! The old ivory tip facial had a crack so it was replaced with casein. The ebony frog has single mother-of-pearl eyes and a three-piece end button which has a double turn in the collar. I also replaced one pearl eye on the audience side and a new wind and leather thumb grip. The bow pre-restoration weight was around 55.0 grams. A new wind in sterling silver and a new leather help add more grams to the bow, giving the stick a better balance and playability. These were the only restorative changes made in the bow. The nickel mountings in the frog are finished and attached by small, tapered silver pins. The heel of the frog is one-piece. The lining is also held in place with fine pin work. The bow oozes of fine detailed craftsmanship in all three areas: the tip, the stick in octagonal section, and the frog. It is a good playing stick as nice or nicer than bows in the 2 to 2,500 dollar range. It is a kind of a hybrid of a bow with my adding sterling for the wind mixed with the nickel frog. This is a very good bow, yup, over 120 years old stick where everything was done by hand, worthy of a serious look for a great bow.

Weight fully haired 60.0 grams