{"id":32480,"date":"2026-04-09T17:50:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/?p=32480"},"modified":"2026-05-18T16:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:06:52","slug":"quatuor-sylvain-bigot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/en\/2026\/04\/09\/quatuor-sylvain-bigot\/","title":{"rendered":"Un rare quatuor de Sylvain Bigot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Le 4 juin 2026, Vichy Ench\u00e8res pr\u00e9sentera un quatuor d\u2019archets r\u00e9alis\u00e9 par Sylvain Bigot en 2002. Ces instruments remarquablement conserv\u00e9s offrent l\u2019occasion de revenir sur le parcours de Sylvain Bigot, archetier aujourd\u2019hui reconnu comme l\u2019un des sp\u00e9cialistes majeurs de la sp\u00e9cialit\u00e9, \u00e0 la fois pour son travail d\u2019atelier et pour son expertise.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalogue de vente<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Catalogue de la collection Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 1er juin 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 2 juin 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 3 juin 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 4 juin 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
English version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Formation \u00e0 Mirecourt<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Mirecourt\"<\/a>
Mirecourt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Portrait de Sylvain Bigot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sylvain Bigot int\u00e8gre en 1987 l\u2019\u00c9cole nationale de lutherie Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume de Mirecourt, o\u00f9 il suit une formation compl\u00e8te. Il obtient en 1990 un CAP et un Brevet de Technicien en facture instrumentale, puis en 1992, un Dipl\u00f4me des M\u00e9tiers d\u2019Art, avec un travail consacr\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019alto t\u00e9nor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cette formation lui donne une connaissance directe des instruments \u00e0 cordes et de leur fonctionnement, ainsi qu\u2019une ma\u00eetrise du travail du bois. C\u2019est naturellement qu\u2019il s\u2019oriente ensuite vers l\u2019arch\u00e8terie, dans la continuit\u00e9 de cet apprentissage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Paris et l\u2019atelier Raffin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\u00c0 l\u2019issue de sa formation, Sylvain Bigot d\u00e9marre sa carri\u00e8re \u00e0 Paris. Il travaille d\u2019abord en 1992-1993 comme assistant chez le luthier Fran\u00e7ois Varcin, avant de rejoindre, en septembre 1993, l\u2019atelier de Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin, o\u00f9 il restera jusqu\u2019en d\u00e9cembre 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durant pr\u00e8s de dix ans, il perfectionne son savoir-faire en assurant la fabrication et la restauration d\u2019archets, tout en se formant \u00e0 l\u2019expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ces ann\u00e9es chez Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin lui permettent d\u2019examiner un grand nombre d\u2019archets, d\u2019en comparer les caract\u00e9ristiques et la facture, et d\u2019affiner progressivement son oeil. En parall\u00e8le, il participe d\u00e8s 1996 \u00e0 la r\u00e9alisation de l\u2019ouvrage de r\u00e9f\u00e9rence L\u2019Archet<\/em>, dirig\u00e9 par Bernard Millant et Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin. Ce travail de compilation, fond\u00e9 sur l\u2019observation, l\u2019inventaire et la documentation des mod\u00e8les, vient enrichir et consolider son expertise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bernard<\/a>
Bernard Millant, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin, avec la contribution de Bernard Gaudfroy et Lo\u00efc Le Canu, L’Archet, Paris, 2000, 4 vol.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vente \u00e9v\u00e9nement : une s\u00e9lection d\u2019archets de la collection Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Installation \u00e0 son compte<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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En f\u00e9vrier 2003, Sylvain Bigot s\u2019installe \u00e0 son compte \u00e0 Lyon. Il y d\u00e9veloppe une activit\u00e9 d\u2019archetier comprenant fabrication, restauration et rem\u00e9chage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00e8s les premi\u00e8res ann\u00e9es, il poursuit \u00e9galement une activit\u00e9 d\u2019enseignement ponctuel en s\u2019impliquant dans le milieu professionnel. Il est alors membre du GLAAF \u00e0 partir de 1997 et en devient vice-secr\u00e9taire entre 2000 et 2004, tout en pr\u00e9sidant l\u2019association des Amis de l\u2019\u00c9cole de Lutherie de Mirecourt entre 2001 et 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parall\u00e8lement \u00e0 son activit\u00e9 d\u2019atelier et d\u2019expertise, il d\u00e9veloppe une activit\u00e9 \u00e9ditoriale accompagn\u00e9 de Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin, Yannick Le Canu, Arthur Dubroca et Lothair Mabru, avec la cr\u00e9ation, en 2015, de la structure \u201cLes Archetiers Fran\u00e7ais\u201d, consacr\u00e9e \u00e0 la publication d\u2019ouvrages de r\u00e9f\u00e9rence sur l\u2019arch\u00e8terie.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Les Archetiers Fran\u00e7ais<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Distinctions et reconnaissance<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Le parcours de Sylvain Bigot est jalonn\u00e9 de cons\u00e9crations. En d\u00e9cembre 1999, il obtient une m\u00e9daille d\u2019argent au concours international de lutherie et d\u2019arch\u00e8terie de Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il est pr\u00e9s\u00e9lectionn\u00e9 en 2010 pour le concours des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, qu\u2019il obtient en mai 2011 dans la classe lutherie-arch\u00e8terie. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Cette distinction vient consacrer son savoir-faire et son haut niveau de ma\u00eetrise technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La m\u00eame ann\u00e9e, en d\u00e9cembre 2011, il est inscrit sur la liste des experts judiciaires pr\u00e8s la Cour d\u2019appel de Lyon et, depuis 2025, la Cour d\u2019appel de Paris.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Sylvain<\/a>
Sylvain Bigot dans son atelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sylvain<\/a>
Sylvain Bigot re\u00e7u meilleur ouvrier de France, avec J.L. Tauziede, Palais de l’ \u00c9lys\u00e9e, le 25 juin 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sylvain<\/a>
Sylvain Bigot dans son atelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Expertise et cabinet Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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D\u00e8s 2010, il assiste Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin lors de ventes aux ench\u00e8res, notamment \u00e0 Vichy. En juin 2011, il intervient comme assistant sur la partie expertise aux c\u00f4t\u00e9s de Yannick Le Canu.
En 2012, il devient associ\u00e9 au sein de la SAS Cabinet d\u2019archetiers experts Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin, aux c\u00f4t\u00e9s de Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin (pr\u00e9sident) et Yannick Le Canu (directeur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Cette activit\u00e9 se d\u00e9veloppe \u00e0 l\u2019international, avec des expertises r\u00e9guli\u00e8res en Europe, aux \u00c9tats-Unis et en Asie. Elle comprend l\u2019authentification, l\u2019attribution et l\u2019estimation des archets anciens, ainsi que l\u2019\u00e9tude de grandes collections, comme celle de Bernard Millant, dont la vente s\u2019est tenue \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res entre 2017 et 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Jean-Fran\u00e7ois<\/a>
Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin entour\u00e9 de Yannick Le Canu et Sylvain Bigot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Expertises<\/a>
Expertises \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Les<\/a>
Les archetiers de la famille Bazin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Travaux et publications<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Sylvain Bigot participe \u00e9galement \u00e0 plusieurs travaux de r\u00e9f\u00e9rence consacr\u00e9s \u00e0 l\u2019arch\u00e8terie. Il collabore \u00e0 l\u2019ouvrage L\u2019Archet<\/em>, publi\u00e9 en 2000, puis \u00e0 celui consacr\u00e9 aux Archetiers de la famille Bazin : 1824-1987<\/em>, paru en 2021 aux \u00e9ditions Les Archetiers fran\u00e7ais, avec Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin et Yannick Le Canu. Ces publications s\u2019inscrivent dans un travail de mise en forme et de synth\u00e8se des connaissances, en rassemblant et structurant des informations issues de l\u2019\u00e9tude des archetiers et de leurs productions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Zoom sur les archets de la vente<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019ensemble pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res se compose de quatre archets – deux violons, un alto et un violoncelle – r\u00e9alis\u00e9s en 2002, en bois de pernambouc, mont\u00e9s argent, et conserv\u00e9s dans un \u00e9tat proche du neuf. Ils proviennent de la collection d\u2019Hiroaki Okitsu et ont \u00e9t\u00e9 command\u00e9s directement \u00e0 Sylvain Bigot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comme il l\u2019explique lui-m\u00eame :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cCe quatuor d\u2019archets a \u00e9t\u00e9 command\u00e9 en 2002 par Hiroaki Okitsu, pour sa collection. \u00c0 l\u2019\u00e9poque, j\u2019\u00e9tais encore chez Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin. Comme c\u2019est le cas dans beaucoup de commandes internationales, il m\u2019a \u00e9t\u00e9 demand\u00e9 le mod\u00e8le Peccatte qui parle \u00e0 beaucoup de monde et qui est beaucoup appr\u00e9ci\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entretien avec Sylvain Bigot, avril 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Cette commande s\u2019inscrit dans un moment particulier. \u00c0 la fin des ann\u00e9es 1990 et au d\u00e9but des ann\u00e9es 2000, la reproduction de mod\u00e8les historiques – notamment fran\u00e7ais du XIX\u00e8me si\u00e8cle – commence \u00e0 se d\u00e9velopper dans certains ateliers, notamment chez Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cC\u2019\u00e9tait, \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9poque, encore relativement nouveau de se permettre de r\u00e9aliser des archets inspir\u00e9s des mod\u00e8les fran\u00e7ais du milieu du XIXe si\u00e8cle. C\u2019est quelque chose qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9velopp\u00e9 ou red\u00e9velopp\u00e9 justement chez Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin \u00e0 partir de 1998-2000.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entretien avec Sylvain Bigot, avril 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Le choix du mod\u00e8le Peccatte s\u2019inscrit dans cette logique. Dominique Peccatte, figure majeure de l\u2019arch\u00e8terie du XIX\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, est associ\u00e9 \u00e0 une esth\u00e9tique reconnaissable. Ce mod\u00e8le, largement diffus\u00e9, est aujourd\u2019hui l\u2019un des plus recherch\u00e9s, notamment \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger, o\u00f9 il reste une r\u00e9f\u00e9rence de l\u2019arch\u00e8terie fran\u00e7aise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dans le cas pr\u00e9sent, ce mod\u00e8le sert de base \u00e0 un travail d\u2019ensemble. Il permet de d\u00e9finir un vocabulaire commun qui peut \u00eatre d\u00e9clin\u00e9 de mani\u00e8re coh\u00e9rente sur les diff\u00e9rents instruments du quatuor. Comme le pr\u00e9cise Sylvain Bigot :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOn est principalement sur des t\u00eates carr\u00e9es sur le dessus, avec un d\u00e9gorgement chez Peccatte qui ressemble un peu \u00e0 l\u2019avant d\u2019un sabot. On a un travail des hausses \u00e0 angle droit, avec une unit\u00e9 aussi dans le choix des nacres d\u2019ormeau.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ces \u00e9l\u00e9ments participent \u00e0 cette recherche d\u2019unit\u00e9. Ils ne sont pas trait\u00e9s isol\u00e9ment, mais comme des points de rep\u00e8re permettant d\u2019assurer une continuit\u00e9 visuelle et structurelle entre les archets. Dans le cas d\u2019un quatuor, cette coh\u00e9rence devient essentielle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cPour des instruments appartenant \u00e0 un quatuor, on cherche \u00e0 avoir quatre baguettes identiques pour avoir une vraie unit\u00e9. Le quatuor, c\u2019est avant tout un travail tr\u00e8s int\u00e9ressant d\u2019unit\u00e9 dans le style.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Les quatre archets d\u00e9clinent ainsi un m\u00eame mod\u00e8le sur le violon, l\u2019alto et le violoncelle, en adaptant les proportions \u00e0 chaque instrument tout en conservant une ligne commune. Les archets pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s se distinguent \u00e9galement par leur \u00e9tat de conservation, quasiment celui d\u2019origine, puisque les instruments n\u2019ont probablement jamais \u00e9t\u00e9 jou\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Quatuor<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Archet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Le quatuor d\u2019archets pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res t\u00e9moigne \u00e0 la fois d\u2019un moment pr\u00e9cis de la carri\u00e8re de Sylvain Bigot, mais \u00e9galement de son travail d\u2019expertise fond\u00e9 sur la connaissance des mod\u00e8les historiques et la recherche de coh\u00e9rence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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A RARE QUARTET OF BOWS BY SYLVAIN BIGOT<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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On 4 June 2026, Vichy Ench\u00e8res will present a quartet of bows made by Sylvain Bigot in 2002. These remarkably well-preserved bows provide an opportunity to look back at the career of Sylvain Bigot, a bow maker now recognized as one of the leading specialists in this field, both for his making and restoration, as well as his appraisal work.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalog<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Catalog of the Jean Fran\u00e7ois Raffin collection <\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale on 1 June 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale on 2 June 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale on 3 June 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale on 4 June 2026<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Version fran\u00e7aise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Training in Mirecourt<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Mirecourt\"<\/a>
Mirecourt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Portrait de Sylvain Bigot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In 1987, Sylvain Bigot enrolled at the Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume national school of violin making in Mirecourt, where he received comprehensive training. In 1990, he earned a CAP<\/em> and a Brevet de Technicien<\/em> (both vocational qualifications in France) in instrument making, followed in 1992 by a Dipl\u00f4me des M\u00e9tiers d\u2019Art<\/em> (diploma in artistic crafts), for work undertaken on the tenor viola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This training provided him with first-hand knowledge of stringed instruments and their inner workings, as well as with woodworking skills. He subsequently turned his attention to bow making, which was a natural step forward from the training he had received.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Paris and the Raffin workshop<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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After completing his training, Sylvain Bigot began his career in Paris. He first worked in 1992 \u2013 1993 as an assistant to the maker Fran\u00e7ois Varcin, before joining Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin’s workshop in September 1993, where he remained until December 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For nearly ten years, he honed his craft by making and restoring bows, while also developing his appraisal skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These years with Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin allowed him to study a large number of bows, compare their features and construction, and gradually sharpen his eye. In parallel, from 1996, he contributed to the publication L\u2019Archet<\/em>, written by Bernard Millant and Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin. This reference work, which is the fruit of the study, recording and documentation of examples, enriched and strengthened his expertise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bernard<\/a>
Bernard Millant, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin, avec la contribution de Bernard Gaudfroy et Lo\u00efc Le Canu, L’Archet, Paris, 2000, 4 vol.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vente \u00e9v\u00e9nement : une s\u00e9lection d\u2019archets de la collection Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Setting up on his own<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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In February 2003, Sylvain Bigot set up on his own in Lyon. There, he developed his bow-making activity, making, restoring and rehairing bows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the very beginning, he also occasionally taught, by getting involved with the professional community. He was by then a member of the GLAAF, which he joined in 1997, and served as its vice-secretary from 2000 to 2004, while also presiding over the Amis de l\u2019Ecole de Lutherie de Mirecourt<\/em> association from 2001 to 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside his making, restoration and appraisal work, he developed a publishing activity with Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin, Yannick Le Canu, Arthur Dubroca and Lothair Mabru, culminating in 2015 with the creation of the imprint “Les Archetiers Fran\u00e7ais<\/em>“, whose purpose is to publish reference works on bow making.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Les<\/a>
Les Archetiers Fran\u00e7ais<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Distinctions and recognition<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Sylvain Bigot’s career is marked by numerous accolades. In December 1999, he won a silver medal at the international violin and bow making competition in Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was shortlisted in 2010 for the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France<\/em> competition, which he won in May 2011 in the violin and bow making section. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This distinction denoted his expertise and excellent craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same year, in December 2011, he was registered on the list of court-appointed experts for the Court of Appeal of Lyon and, since 2025, for the Court of Appeal of Paris.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Sylvain<\/a>
Sylvain Bigot dans son atelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sylvain<\/a>
Sylvain Bigot re\u00e7u meilleur ouvrier de France, avec J.L. Tauziede, Palais de l’ \u00c9lys\u00e9e, le 25 juin 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sylvain<\/a>
Sylvain Bigot dans son atelier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Appraisals and the firm of Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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As early as 2010, he assisted Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin at auctions, in particular in Vichy. In June 2011, he started working as an assistant on the appraisal side alongside Yannick Le Canu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, he became a partner in the firm SAS Cabinet d\u2019archetiers experts Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin<\/em>, alongside Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin (President) and Yannick Le Canu (Managing Director).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This activity expanded internationally, with periodic appraisals carried out in Europe, the United States and Asia. It encompasses the authentication, attribution and valuation of antique bows, as well as the assessment of major collections, such as that of Bernard Millant, whose sale took place at Vichy Ench\u00e8res between 2017 and 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Jean-Fran\u00e7ois<\/a>
Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin entour\u00e9 de Yannick Le Canu et Sylvain Bigot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Expertises \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Les archetiers de la famille Bazin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Works and publications<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Sylvain Bigot also contributed to several reference works on bow making. He contributed to the work L\u2019Archet<\/em>, published in 2000, and then on the one dedicated to the Archetiers de la famille Bazin: 1824 \u2013 1987<\/em>, published in 2021 by Les Archetiers fran\u00e7ais<\/em>, with Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin and Yannick Le Canu. These publications are part of an effort to organize and synthesize knowledge, by gathering and structuring information obtained from the study of bow makers and their work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A closer look at the bows in the auction<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The set presented at Vichy Ench\u00e8res includes four bows \u2013 two for violins, one for viola and one for cello \u2013 made in 2002 from pernambuco wood, silver mounted, and preserved in near-mint condition. They originate from the collection of Hiroaki Okitsu and were commissioned directly from Sylvain Bigot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he explains himself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThis quartet of bows was commissioned in 2002 by Hiroaki Okitsu for his collection. At the time, I was still working for Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin. As is often the case with international commissions, I was asked to make them on the Peccatte model, which resonates with many people and is highly regarded abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Sylvain Bigot, April 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This commission belongs to a particular time period. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the reproduction of historical examples \u2013 particularly 19th-century French models \u2013 began to develop in certain workshops, in particular that of Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAt the time, the idea of creating bows inspired by mid-19th-century French models was still in its infancy. This is indeed something that initiated, or was revived, in Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Raffin\u2019s workshop from 1998 \u2013 2000 onwards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Sylvain Bigot, April 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The choice of the Peccatte model is consistent with this approach. Dominique Peccatte, a major figure in 19th-century bow making, had a distinctive style. His model, which is widespread, is now one of the most sought-after, particularly abroad, where it remains emblematic of French bow making.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In this instance, this model served as a guideline for the work overall. It allowed to have a common understanding from which the bows for the different quartet instruments could be consistently derived. As Sylvain Bigot explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe are primarily working with square heads at the top, and with a cutaway with Peccatte that somewhat resembles the front of a hoof. The frogs are worked at right angles, with a unity further reinforced by the choice of abalone shell.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

These elements contribute to the sense of cohesion. They are not treated in isolation, but as markers which ensure continuity between the bows from a visual and construction point of view. In the case of a quartet, this coherence becomes essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cFor instruments belonging to a quartet, we aim for four identical bows to achieve true unity. The quartet is, above all, a very interesting exercise in stylistic unity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The four bows therefore replicate the same model for the violin, viola and cello, with adjustments made to the proportions for each instrument, while remaining true to the common design. The bows presented are also notable for their state of preservation: they are virtually in their original condition, since they have probably never been played.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The quartet of bows presented at Vichy Ench\u00e8res attests to both a specific moment in Sylvain Bigot\u2019s career, and his appraisal work underpinned by knowledge of historical models and the pursuit of coherence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\ude80 Suivez-nous !<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n