A Silver-Mounted Split Cane & Pernambuco Cello Bow by Lawrence Cocker, England c.1970 (BE02) - $2,500 Canadian
A Silver-Mounted Split Cane & Pernambuco Cello Bow by Lawrence Cocker, England c.1970 (BE02) - $2,500 Canadian
Lawrence Cocker (1912 – 1982) was a skilled English luthier & innovative bow-maker working in Derby. He produced a number of fine stringed instruments and bows in the traditional manner but became disillusioned with the amount of wasted material involved in bow-making.
Image: cellomuseum.org
His solution to this problem was to employ techniques used to make split cane fishing rods; an English craft tradition stretching back 150 years. Cocker patented a method where he expertly spliced a Tonkin cane bow shaft onto a handle and head made from Brazilian pernambuco wood, the favored wood for bow-making. The resulting bows work very well and were popular at the time; they are responsive and have been described to have similar playing qualities to carbon fiber.
This silver-mounted Cocker cane & pernambuco bow was made c.1970 and is in excellent condition. Weight 76g.