Nicolas Rémy Maire (1800–1878) was a French

archetier A bow maker is a person who builds, repairs, and restores antique or modern Bow (music), bows for bowed string instruments. These include violins, violas, cellos, double basses, viola d'amore, viola da gamba, etc. The French word for bowmaker (b ...

. Maire was born in

Mirecourt Mirecourt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vosges (French department), Vosges Departments of France, department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particula ...

. He trained in the Lafleur workshop and served his apprenticeship in the workshop of Pajeot in Mirecourt. Maire's style remained close to that of Pajeot. He opened his own workshop in Mirecourt in 1826 and left in 1853 to work in Paris. As well as his own production, he worked for Gand, Jean Baptiste Vuillaume and Georges Chanot. He was influenced by

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 ...

during the 1850s, his bows being very similar to those of Peccatte from this period. Maire went on to a lighter model after 1860, as did many other makers of his time. He did not always stamp his bows. Jean Joseph Martin was among his students. His work varies in style but is consistently of fine craftsmanship. He died in Paris.

Bibliography

* * * * Les Luthiers Parisiens aux XIX et XX siecles Tom 3 "Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume et sa famille - Sylvette Milliot 2006 * * 1800 births 1878 deaths Bow makers 19th-century French people Luthiers from Mirecourt {{France-music-bio-stub