Dominique Peccatte
Mirecourt, 1810–1874
Dominique Peccatte was a highly influential French bow maker, born in Mirecourt in 1810. After an apprenticeship as a violin maker and working for J. B. Vuillaume in Paris, he established his own workshop, succeeding François Lupot. He is ranked second only to François Tourte in importance, known for his flexible mastery and a consistent, heavy model that provides power and projection. His bows are highly sought after, and he trained under J. P. M. Persois and possibly F. Tourte. He eventually returned to Mirecourt, retiring around 1872.
Auction Price History
Highest auction price
120 results
| Type | Details | Auction house | Sold | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violin Bow | Silver mounted, round stick, later ebony frog with pearl eye, later silver and ebony button Lot 159 | Ingles & H. | March 2025 | £45,600est. £ 8,000-12,000 |
| Violin Bow | Silver mounted, round stick unstamped, frog and button later Lot 57 | Tarisio | March 2025 | £51,000est. £ 35,000-55,000 |
| Cello Bow | Silver mounted, signed Peccatte, later frog and button, good condition Lot 241 | Laurent | June 2024 | £42,546est. € 40.000-50.000 |
| Violin Bow | Silver mounted, signed Vuillaume à Paris, head and frog cracks, heel missing, otherwise fair condition Lot 298 | Laurent | June 2024 | £6,382est. € 4.000-5.000 |
| Violin Bow | Silver mounted, unhaired and unlapping, stick and head blemishes, frog and button cracks, heel missing Lot 380 | Laurent | June 2024 | £21,885est. € 20.000-25.000 |
| Violin Bow | Silver mounted, round stick unstamped, frog and button not original Lot 87 | Tarisio | May 2024 | £35,338est. $ 8,000-12,000 |
| Violin Bow | Gold mounted, round stick unstamped, frog and button made by Emile A. Ouchard Lot 77 | Tarisio | March 2024 | £59,942est. $ 40,000-60,000 |
| Violin Bow | Silver mounted, round stick, later ebony frog with pearl eye, later silver and ebony button Lot 56 | Ingles & H. | March 2024 | £28,800est. £ 25,000-35,000 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 51 g. Brazilwood, no hair or winding (damage to end of stick) Workshop of | — | December 2011 | £2,748 |
| Violin Bow | Ebony 50 g. open frog, without winding | — | December 2011 | £23,249 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 80.0 g. (handle replaced, button not original) | — | November 2011 | £18,796 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 75.0 g. (button not original) | — | June 2011 | £33,000 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 52 g. no hair, silk winding (head spline) | — | June 2011 | £14,879 |
| Cello Bow | G/E 81.5 g. (frog cheval and repairs) | — | June 2011 | £112,419 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 59.5 g. Brazilwood, with silk winding | — | June 2011 | £24,247 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 75.5 g. | — | May 2011 | £32,775 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 77.5 g. Attributed to & possibly by | — | October 2010 | £6,760 |
| Violin Bow | G/T 62.0 g. Ascribed to | — | October 2010 | £10,515 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 56.5 g. | — | October 2010 | £15,600 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61 g. Paris, 1850 c. mounts probably by "Joseph Henry" | — | October 2010 | £21,250 |
| Viola Bow | G/T 71 g. Ascribed to | — | October 2010 | £34,850 |
| Violin Bow | G/T 56.5 g. | — | June 2010 | £98,382 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 56.5 g. (back of head repair) | — | June 2010 | £12,945 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 79.0 g. | — | April 2010 | £32,873 |
| Viola Bow | S/E 60.0 g. Paris, 1845 c. | — | April 2010 | £48,980 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 50 g. Brazilwood, without hair or winding | — | December 2009 | £11,969 |
| Cello Bow | N/E 61.5 g. Brazilwood, without hair or winding | — | December 2009 | £13,057 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 85.0 g. | — | October 2009 | £46,342 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60.0 g. (button not origianl) | — | October 2009 | £33,000 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61 g. Attributed to | — | October 2009 | £20,973 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 60 g. Amourette wood | — | June 2009 | £9,853 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 46 g. Brazilwood, no hair or winding Workshop of | — | June 2009 | £1,867 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60.6 g. (frog & button not original) | — | May 2009 | £15,528 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 63 g. Paris, 1835 c. branded "Vuillaume a Paris" (adjustor later) | — | March 2009 | £32,450 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61 g. Paris, 1860 c. (frog & button not original) | — | March 2009 | £22,500 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 77 g. Paris, mid-19th C. Attributed to | — | March 2009 | £13,750 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 50 g. without hair nor winding (frog & button of the period) | — | December 2008 | £6,655 |
| Violin Bow | S/E (button of the period, frog later) | — | December 2008 | £4,607 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 50 g. | — | December 2008 | £58,358 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 74.0 g. (frog & button probably not original) Ascribed to | — | October 2008 | £2,169 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 58.5 g. originally self-rehairing, with modern frog & Peccatte self-rehairing frog from another bow | — | October 2008 | £31,590 |
| Violin Bow | S/E (remounted silver, button later) | — | June 2008 | £25,067 |
| Violin Bow | N/E Exotic hardwood | — | May 2008 | £2,847 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 58.5 g. (repair behind head) | — | May 2008 | £7,791 |
| Cello Bow | G/T 78 g. Paris, 19th C. | — | April 2008 | £12,533 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 78 g. Paris, mid-19th C. (adjustor later?) Attributed to | — | March 2008 | £18,500 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61.5 g. Paris, 1855 c. | — | March 2008 | £50,900 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. JBV style, self-rehairing Attributed to | — | November 2007 | £6,600 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 47 g. without hair or winding (frog chevall) | — | June 2007 | £17,635 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59.5 g. (lift behind head) | — | May 2007 | £5,778 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61.6 g. France, 1855 c. | — | April 2007 | £30,324 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 56.5 g. with whalebone lapping Attributed to | — | March 2007 | £3,450 |
| Violin Bow | 58.5 g. | — | December 2006 | £41,544 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 53 g. Brazilwood Workshop | — | December 2006 | £3,995 |
| Violin Bow | G/E 54.0 g. with no hair Ascribed to | — | November 2006 | £2,406 |
| Violin Bow | 62.2 cm Paris, 1855 c. | — | November 2006 | £17,482 |
| Violin Bow | 58 g. Paris, 1850 c. (repairs to frog, button possibly later) | — | November 2006 | £24,113 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59.0 g. (frog later, button of the period but not original) | — | November 2006 | £9,623 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60 g. 1850 c. (frog and button by "Joseph Henry") Attributed to | — | October 2006 | £10,104 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59.5 g. Paris, 1850 c. Self-rehairing for "J. B. Vuillaume" | — | July 2006 | £15,600 |
| Viola Bow | S/E 70 g. | — | June 2006 | £42,089 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. (frog & button by "Bernard Millant") | — | June 2006 | £32,376 |
| Violin Bow | 62.5 g. (frog and button not original) | — | May 2006 | £24,527 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 63.5 g. 'Self-rehairing' model | — | December 2005 | £29,933 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60.5 g. | — | December 2005 | £38,315 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 64 g. | — | November 2005 | £31,580 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. (frog possibly later, button not original) | — | November 2005 | £10,800 |
| Violin Bow | S/E stamped "Vuillaume brevet d'invention" | — | June 2005 | £21,363 |
| Violin Bow | N/E 60 g. 1860 c. | — | June 2005 | £24,955 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. (later frog) | — | May 2005 | £14,971 |
| Violin Bow | (without frog) | — | May 2005 | £9,687 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60 g. stamped "Vuillaume a Paris" | — | May 2005 | £39,555 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60.0 g. (frog not original) (heavly worn) | — | May 2005 | £9,769 |
| Violin Bow | S/E with "Vuillaume" patented frog | — | December 2004 | £30,930 |
| Cello Bow | N/E 79 g. without wrapping, Amourette wood. | — | December 2004 | £9,767 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 63 g. | — | April 2004 | £23,562 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | December 2003 | £34,634 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. converted self-rehairing | — | November 2002 | £7,050 |
| Violin Bow | G/E 59 g. (poor condition) | — | June 2002 | £11,950 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61 g. | — | June 2001 | £30,529 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 79 g. | — | December 2000 | £33,644 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | December 2000 | £16,312 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 78 g. | — | November 2000 | £38,732 |
| Violin Bow | G/T 62 g. | — | October 2000 | £27,517 |
| Viola Bow | S/E 71 g. | — | July 2000 | £28,100 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | June 2000 | £27,743 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 63 g. | — | May 2000 | £14,935 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. | — | March 2000 | £26,450 |
| Cello Bow | N/E 82 g. | — | December 1999 | £16,526 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 80 g. | — | November 1999 | £12,000 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60 g. | — | June 1999 | £18,476 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 58 g. | — | November 1997 | £17,250 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | March 1996 | £13,800 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60 g. | — | December 1994 | £19,167 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 58 g. | — | November 1994 | £7,360 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 76 g. | — | March 1994 | £20,700 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. | — | April 1993 | £13,800 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 60 g. | — | November 1992 | £15,817 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 64 g. | — | November 1992 | £17,255 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. | — | November 1992 | £34,100 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 64 g. | — | November 1992 | £6,050 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 62 g. | — | November 1991 | £23,100 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 77 g. | — | November 1991 | £10,450 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61 g. | — | November 1990 | £8,250 |
| Violin Bow | S/T 56 g. | — | March 1989 | £9,350 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | March 1989 | £7,700 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 65 g. | — | November 1988 | £14,300 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 76 g. | — | November 1987 | £9,900 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 77 g. | — | November 1987 | £7,150 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 57 g. | — | November 1987 | £5,720 |
| Violin Bow | Self-rehairing, made for "Vuillaume" | — | March 1987 | £5,280 |
| Violin Bow | S/I 58 g. | — | November 1986 | £7,700 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | May 1986 | £10,450 |
| Viola Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | November 1984 | £7,560 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | October 1984 | £3,520 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 64 g. | — | January 1984 | £4,400 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 61 g. | — | November 1982 | £5,500 |
| Cello Bow | S/E 75 g. | — | March 1982 | £4,278 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 56 g. | — | May 1981 | £3,960 |
| Violin Bow | S/E 59 g. | — | January 1981 | £3,422 |
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Maker Overview
Life
Dominique Peccatte (1810-1874) was born on July 15, 1810, in Mirecourt, France, and died there on January 13, 1874. He initially apprenticed as a violin maker in Mirecourt, a path suggested by N. F. Vuillaume, according to The Brompton's Book of Violin & Bow Makers by John Dilworth. He later worked for J. B. Vuillaume in Paris from 1826 to 1836 or 1837's, Lütgendorff, and Stainer. In 1838, he succeeded to the workshop of François Lupot at 18 rue d'Angervillers, marking the beginning of his most productive period. Around 1841, his brother François joined him in the workshop. He returned to Mirecourt in 1847, working from his family home in rue des Vosges, and later moved to rue des Cloîtres in 1852. He appears to have retired around 1872.
Characteristics
- Ranking
- Dominique Peccatte is considered a highly important and influential bow maker, ranked second only to Tourte, and in some ways likened to the Guarneri del Gesù to Tourte's Stradivari. Stainer notes that he ranks next to François Tourte, even rivalling him in some bows finished with especial care. Lütgendorff states that his sticks can be described as equal in value to those of Tourte.
- Workmanship
- He is known for a flexible and instinctive mastery of his craft. He worked excellently and consistently to a fairly heavy model, which is highly desirable for the power and projection of sound in large concert halls.
- Characteristics
- His bows generally feature a round stick, though some octagonal bows are known. The wood frequently exhibits a faint snakewood-like figure.
- Branding
- Most of his early work carries the Vuillaume brand. Later, he used his own brand, "PECCATTE" on one side of the handle with "PARIS" on the other, but did not apply it in all cases. Lütgendorff also mentions he only sometimes used his brand mark, and Stainer notes he sometimes marked them with his name.
Influence and legacy
- Mentorship: He was taught bow making by J. P. M. Persois and possibly F. Tourte during his time in Paris.
- Family: His brother, François Peccatte, joined him in his workshop around 1841. Sources contain conflicting information about François's significance; while Brompton's mentions his involvement, Lütgendorff describes him as "unbedeutend" (insignificant).
- Market Value: His bows, initially sold for 16 shillings, have seen their price almost quadrupled.
Biographies
The overview above is drawn from the following published accounts. Read them in the original:
John Dilworth+
PECCATTE, Dominique Born 1810, died 1874 Mirecourt France. Brother of Francois, below. Highly important and influential bow maker, ranked second in importance to Tourte. In some ways the Guarneri del Gesù to Tourte’s Stradivari, he is known for a flexible and instinctive mastery of his craft. Apprenticed as a violin maker in Mirecourt at the suggestion of N. F. Vuillaume, he later worked for J. B. Vuillaume in Paris 1826-1836. Taught bow making there by J. P. M. Persois and possibly F. Tourte. Succeeded to workshop of François Lupot at 18 rue d’Angervillers 1838, the start of his best period. Joined by his brother François c.1841, and employed Henry in the workshop, which he left in the hands of P. Simon when he moved back to Mirecourt in 1847, working in family home in rue des Vosges. Moved to rue des Cloîtres 1852, and seems to have retired c.1872. He worked excellently and consistently to a fairly heavy model, which is very desirable for power and projection of sound in large concert halls. Generally round stick, but some octagonal bows known. The wood frequently has a faint snakewood-like figure. Most early work carries the Vuillaume brand, later he used the brand, PECCATTE on one side of the handle, with PARIS on the other, but did not apply it in all cases. [Millant/Raffin]
Willibald Leo Lütgendorff+
Er war der Sohn eines Barbiers und trat bei einem Geigenmacher in die
Lehre, verlegte sich aber bald ausschliesslich auf das Bogenmachen und brachte
es darin zu grosser Meisterschaft. Nachdem er von 1826—1837 bei J. B. Vuillaume
gearbeitet hatte, wurde er in der Rue d’Angivilliers No. 18. Francois Lupot’s
Geschäftsnachfolger. Seine Stangen können denen von Tourte als gleichwerthig
bezeichnet werden. Er verwandte nur manchmal seine Brandmarke. — Sein
Bruder, genannt »Peccate jeune« (f 1856), war unbedeutend.
Cecie Stainer+
b. July 15, 1810, Mirecourt; d. there, Jan. 13, 1874. In 1826 was apprenticed to J. B. Vuillaume at Paris, and worked with him until 1837; then François Lupot died, and Dominique succeeded to his business at 18, rue d’Angivilliers. He remained there till 1847, then returned to Mirecourt, and continued working there.
He ranks next to François Tourte as a bow maker, even rivalling him in some of his bows, which were finished with especial care. He sometimes marked them with his name ; they were at first sold for 16s., but now their price is almost quadrupled.
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