French master violin bow, Jean-Alain François

This master bow was made around 1980 and bears the stamp of Jean-Alain François; it comes from the Ary ateliers in the French town of Carmaux. The round stick is fashioned of premium-quality dark red-brown pernambuco; it is moderately thick but very elastic. The frog is made of light-coloured horn – a special feature of the François series at Ary – and has genuine silver fittings and a eye and slide of bright mother-of-pearl. The head of the bow is pretty and crafted with great attention to detail; the bow's total length is 74.0 cm, and its balance point is measured at 25.5 cm from the end of the frog yet feels central. The sound this beautiful bow produces is typically French: clear yet fluid, bright and powerful.