L. Morizot Freres Gold Mounted Violin Bow with Ivory Frog c.1940

This bow was made by the Morizot brothers at their workshop in Mirecourt, around 1940. The Morizot firm was created by Louis Morizot père, who had learned bow-making from Eugène Cuniot-Hury and Charles Nicolas Bazin. He then went on to work with Eugène Sartory, whose influence, along with Bazin's, is most notable in his work. In 1927, Morizot père won the highest award at the Paris Exposition Artisanale, and William Henley lauds him as having "consecrated his activities to the highest artistry." In 1933, he created the workshop with his five sons, who had all trained with him, and their combined output lasted until the 1970's, well after Morizot père's death in 1957. This bow comes with a certificate from Pierre Guillaume, and is original in all its parts.

The bow is stamped "L. Morizot" and weighs 63.7 grams. It has an octagonal stick of red-brown pernambuco, with the original silk, silver tinsel lapping and lizard leather grip, and ivory tip face. The frog is ivory, fully mounted in gold and mother-of-pearl, with a Parisian eye and a gold button.

This bow is characterised by its strong and stiff stick, which produces a clear, direct sound across both delicate and broad strokes. The bow allows players to relax into the string with its weight being balanced evenly from frog to tip. When playing fast strokes the bow feels very energetic and activated in the hand, making it very easy to achieve clarity on each note. This bow would be most suitable for professional players playing in soloistic, chamber, or orchestral environments.

Please contact us if you would like to book an appointment to try this beautiful, original French bow.