The shop is closed from the 23rd of December until the 3rd of January for the Festive Season
Violin bow for Hart and Son, London, circa 1910
About Hart and Son
This violin bow was made for the London firm Hart & Son by W. E. Hill & Sons. The English firm W. E. Hill and Sons was almost unchallenged as the world´s premier violin and bow dealership for almost a century, having been set up by William Ebsworth Hill in 1880. The family´s roots in the trade went back even further: William Ebsworth was the fourth generation of Hill violin makers. As accomplished in making as the Hills were, William Ebsworth was also a shrewd businessman: in just seven years the Hanwell workshop grew into a major concern, employing a number of talented makers of instruments, bows and cases. Hill´s four sons were among their number.
Over the course of the next 100 years or so, the Hill name continued to grow in importance thanks to the publication of a number of seminal texts on the great makers and the fact that most of the world´s best instruments were being sold through the firm. The period leading up to the Second World War saw a number of Hill instruments being donated to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. This collection included Stradivari´s `Le Messie´, arguably the world´s most famous violin.
Hill bows are known for their consistently high quality. There was a strict hierarchy within the workshop, with new recruits beginning by making chin rests and working their way up. The standards in the workshop were very high: we've never seen a Hill with an overly weak stick, a testament to the rigorous quality control which took place.
About the violin bow
This violin bow was made for the Hart firm in the W. E. Hill & Sons workshop around 1910. The bow is unmistakeably a Hill: the iconic proportions of the button, the silver faceplate and the fit of the metalwork on the back of the frog all show the hand of an illustrious Hill maker. Stylistically, that maker was most likely William Napier, who worked for the company between 1891 and 1930.
The round stick is made of excellent-quality pernambuco and measures 731 mm in length. The mounts are of silver and dark tortoiseshell.
The bow weighs 61 grams.
How does it play?
The bow produces a smooth, singing sound with lots of higher overtones, allowing for a great deal of projection. The quality of the pernambuco is evident in both this sparkling sound and the brilliant playability of the bow.
Condition
The bow is in very good condition.
Further information
Please get in touch for more details about this fine English violin bow by W. E. Hill & Sons for sale and a member of our team will get back to you.