Célestin Émile Clasquin for Victor Fétique: Fine French violin bow

This French violin bow by Célestin Émile Clasquin (1875-1929) is a high-quality work from the time around 1920 - a first-class fine violin bow that bears the stamp of the great Victor Fétique probably not without any good reason.

Célestin Émile Clasquin is a lesser-known French bow maker of the 1920's whose comparatively his comparatively small but select body of work, influenced by Émile Ouchard, is highly regarded among experts and musicians. Born into a family of violin makers in Mirecourt, Clasquin probably trained under Charles Nicolas Bazin before finding a position in the influential workshops of Jérôme Thibouville Lamy (J. T. L.). After serving in the military during World War I, Célestin Émile Clasquin opened his own workshop in Paris, where he worked primarily for well-established violin makers until his untimely death in 1929 - and, as the silver-mounted violin bow offered here suggests, also for notable colleagues such as Victor Fétique, who, due to illness, increasingly relied on additional work from hand-picked colleagues in the 1920s. The strong, round stick made of finest pernambuco and the elegant head of this well-preserved work show its craftsmanship at first glance, and the high-quality ebony frog with mother-of-pearl eye as well as the one-piece silver leg are later additions that show the esteem that earlier owners had for this violin bow. With a total weight of 62 g and a balance point located in the lower half of the stick, the bow is an excellent choice for violins that sound a bit too soft or are not completely precise in their playing characteristics; this Celestin Clasquin violin bow helps them achieve radiant clarity and precise power, ready to play immediately after a thorough inspection in our workshop. Its authenticity is attested by a certificate from the renowned bow-making expert Jean-François Raffin.