W.E. Hill & Sons, Sydney Yeoman, c.1925

Description

A fine silver and tortoiseshell-mounted violin bow by Sydney Yeoman for W.E. Hill & Sons, circa 1925.
Stamped: W.E.HILL & SONS.

By experience, I hold the opinion that the absolute best Hill workmanship for bows comes from the grade with silver mounts and a dark tortoiseshell frog, often subtle enough to pass for ebony. From time to time we see these bows connected with great instruments that passed through the Hill saleroom, and they are often of outstanding quality.By contrast, gold-mounted bows were invariably made to be showy, for rich amateurs or for export to the burgeoning American market. Although some of these also count amongst the finest bows made by Hills, the latter are more variable. A silver and tortoiseshell mounted Hill bow is always a remarkable find.

This immaculate example is made by Syndey Yeoman (marked by a single nick in the mortice) has a very fine octagonal stick with a cross-section to the head that is marvellously informed from original bows by François Xavier Tourte, the model that Hill bows invariably followed, but to a greater or lesser extent depending upon the skill of the craftsman and the demands for the bow in question. In this example it would seem that Yeoman had access to a Tourte stick of the 1820 period, and seems to have made significant efforts to produce a technical copy both in the shaping of the stick and the camber of the bow with a rod-like final section behind the head. As such it is a remarkable bow that stands outside of the normal quality of Hill work.

Certificate: On request

Condition notes: The bow is in excellent condition.