François-Xavier Bazin (10 May 1824 – 1 August 1865) was an important

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

archetier and master bow maker, and was first of the

Bazin Bazin may refer to Places *Bazin, Zanjan, a village in Iran *Gazan Bazin, Hormozgan, a village in Iran *Kingdom of Bazin, a medieval Beja polity *Bazin, Hungarian name of Pezinok, in Slovakia Other *Bazin (surname) Bazin is a French surname of Ger ...

dynasty. Bazin was born in

Mirecourt Mirecourt () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particularly those of the Violin family. Inhabitants are called Mirecurtiens. G ...

to Joseph Eustache Bazin (1785-1863), judiciary clerk, and Marguerite Laurent. Notable experts suggest that he was influenced and purportedly studied with

Dominique Peccatte Dominique Peccatte (15 July 1810 – 13 January 1874) was a French luthier and above all a renowned bow maker. He was apprenticed in Mirecourt and later worked with Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. He is notable for adapting the "hatchet-shaped" typ ...

and

Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (7 October 1798 – 19 March 1875) was a French luthier, businessman, inventor and winner of many awards. His workshop made over 3,000 instruments. Early life Vuillaume was born in Mirecourt, where his father and gr ...

in Paris, then established himself in Mirecourt around 1840. He was brother of Charles-Nicolas Bazin I, and father of Charles Nicolas Bazin II. On 25 August 1845 he married Jeanne Hélène Maucotel, an embroiderer. They had six children, including Charles Nicolas Bazin, the bow maker. A catalogue of Louis Bazin & Son mentions him "Manufacture d'Archets de violons - Maison fondée en 1840". As the first prominent Bazin bow makers, he fuelled the social rise of the family. He invested in real estate, including the 'Hauts de Chaumont' vineyard. Bazin taught bow making to his son Charles Nicolas Bazin. He died at the age of 41, apparently of cholera. François-Xavier made only a small number of bows, but this was sufficient to establish the family’s reputation. He made excellent bows in Peccatte style. His bows are rare. Bazin was a master bow maker, who was very much influenced by

. According to Italian bow expert Paolo Sarri: "Two are the periods of his work. The first, characterized by lines that remind authors such as

Nicolas Maline Nicolas Maline (28 February 1822 – 28 April 1877 in Mirecourt) was a luthier and an archetier/bow maker. He was apprenticed in Mirecourt and worked for Etienne Pajeot, J.B. Vuillaume and other makers. Maline came from a family of luthiers inc ...

and

Joseph Fonclause Joseph Fonclause (Claude Joseph 'le Mayeux' Fonclauze) (1799–1862) was a French archetier/bow maker. Went to Paris to work for Lupot, Tourte and Vuillaume. From 1840 he worked alone. Most of his bows are stamped. Early in his career, he ...

, with angular shapes influenced the Peccattian school. In the late '50s, following the current fashion, he comes back to a softer style similar to Voirin's one." He added: "Because of his untimely death, Francois Xavier's bows are not so easy to find"

References

* Les Bazin - une dynastie d'archetiers et de luthiers - Les Amis du Vieux Mirecourt Regain *The Rise & Fall of a Dynasty STRAD 1994 , Les Bazin - une dynastie d'archetiers et de luthiers - Les Amis du Vieux Mirecourt Regain: translated from French to English by Gennady & Carole Filimonov * * * * Discovering bows for the Double Bass 1994 Beaux Arts Editions - Christopher Brown * Dictionnaire Universel del Luthiers - Rene Vannes 1951,1972, 1985 (vol.3) *

Universal Dictionary of Violin & Bow Makers The ''Universal Dictionary of Violin & Bow Makers'' is a widely cited reference work providing information on approximately 9,000 violin makers. The work is based on the extensive notes of violinist and composer William Henley (1874-1957). Henley ...

- William Henley 1970 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bazin, Francois Xavier 1824 births 1865 deaths Bow makers 19th-century French people Luthiers from Mirecourt