Violin Bow
Double tap/click to zoomEdgar
Bishop
Guide price £16,000
Violin Bow
Made in London, England
1924
Stamped W.E.Hill&Sons
61.5g
or call +44 (0) 7964 310 297
A very fine and pure gold and tortoiseshell violin bow by Edgar Bishop for W.E.Hill&Sons. Made in London, England, 1924. Octagonal stick of orange-honey coloured pernambuco with solid gold metalwork. A perfectly preserved example of the finest output of the early Hill firm. Edgar Bishop and Albert Leeson were so adept at making the no.1 gold and tortoiseshell bows that they were known as the ‘gold squad’.
History & Provenance
Family business founded by William Ebsworth Hill in 1880 in Wardour Street, London. Moved to 38 New Bond Street in 1882 and to 140 New Bond Street in 1895. Enjoyed unrivalled success and respect throughout the 20th century as violin and bow makers, restorers, and experts. Books written by the Hill Brothers on Stradivari and the Guarneri Family still stand as the standard references. Bow making was one of their most important contributions to English lutherie and their workshops established in Hanwell employed the finest craftsmen, including Samuel Allen, William Retford, Sidney Yeoman, William Grieve Johsnton, Frank Napier, and Arthur Bultitude.
