A rare viola bow from the school of Nicolas Duchaine II
Mirecourt, ca. 1790-1800
Swartzia bannia wood stick with replica ebony frog in the style of Tourte by the Rembert Wurlitzer shop; the original snakewood frog and bone adjuster accompany this bow
Certificate of Authenticity (Y. Chin, 2025)
Price available upon request
66.5g
Nicolas Duchaine II (also spelled Duchene or Duchesne) was a prominent French bow maker (archetier) who spanned the critical transition between the late Baroque/Classical era and the modern bow standard. Born in Mirecourt, France in 1772, he was a primary inheritor of the earliest dedicated bow-making legacy outside of Paris.
According to leading bow historians Millant and Raffin, Duchaine II’s style modernized significantly after the turn of the century. The heads of his bows became lower and lost the rearward-projecting backplate, while the frogs were cut lower and sleeker to allow for faster, more modern articulation.