Charles Alfred Bazin, well-played French cello bow

A cello bow by Charles Alfred Bazin ranks amongst the most exquisite rarities of 20th century French bow making for stringed instruments, if only because of its provenance. This piece from the 1950s/1960s conveys Alfred Bazin’s consistent orientation towards his very demanding clientele in the period following the re-establishment of his workshop after the Second World War.

With Charles Alfred Bazin (1907–1987), the last master from the major bow-making dynasty of the Bazins, the story of an influential family came to an end. This, however, is not the story of a decline, but rather of a return to individuality, style and musical quality. Even while an employee of his father Charles Louis Bazin during the years between the world wars, Alfred Bazin showed a great affinity for top-tier pieces made of valuable hand-selected materials. And upon re-establishing his workshop in 1945 and successfully taking over his father’s workshop in 1952, he took this standard as his benchmark by not accepting commissions from other luthiers and focusing instead on working for a small exclusive clientele. This cello bow shows that its previous owners played it intensely and probably professionally, as is evident by the great respect with which the repairs were made at the thumb and above the frog; the frog and slide were also replace with equal care. The original stamp “Charles Bazin – France” and a certificate of authenticity issued by the esteemed expert Jean-François Raffin confirms the provenance of this magnificent Alfred Bazin cello bow, which is now ready to play after having been carefully set up in our workshop. It is in outstanding condition, and its round pernambuco stick is strong and fine, offering professional musicians excellent playing properties for universal use and a large, powerful and radiant voice.