Cello bow Pajeot

Bows made by Louis Simon Pajeot are rare and highly valued. He was apprenticed in Mirecourt, although it is not known for whom, and was possibly a pupil or employee of Jacques Lafleur in Paris. His bows, some showing the influence of Tourte, are often unbranded; some later ones are branded ‘Pajeot . AMT’.

The son of Louis Simon Pajeot, Étienne Pajeot learned the trade early in the family workshop. Pajeot’s brand first appears around 1815, and his early bows are very much in his father’s style, with rather pointed heads and low, elongated frogs. Starting around 1820 a more personal approach is evident: heads are narrower, but of a wider profile, frogs are somewhat higher and often of ivory, and buttons are sometimes quite short, with octagonal rings. Pajeot was a consummate innovator as well as an exquisite craftsman, and he pioneered many new techniques in bow construction to protect and reinforce delicate areas. Experimentation with metal underslides and two models of self-rehairing frogs, both different from the models of J.B. Vuillaume made a particularly lasting impact on French bow making of the period.

The workshop was prolific and prosperous, and employed such celebrated makers as Nicolas Maire, Claude Joseph Fonclause, and probably Nicolas Maline. Bows of all kinds and materials were produced there, and its peak period of production was around 1840. Materials and craftsmanship are unvaryingly excellent, resulting in works of great beauty and outstanding playability. He is regarded as among the best of his generation. Sticks are branded, “Pajeot.”