James Tubbs (1835 - 1921) is recognised as one of the greatest English bow makers. Trained by his father William, he worked in Soho on his own, and also briefly for W. E. Hill & Sons. In 1876 he became bow maker to the Duke of Edinburgh. He had retired by 1890 but returned to work after the death of his son and pupil Alfred in 1909. He then worked until his own death and was assisted in the running of the business by his daughter-in-law Jane.
His work is prolific and distinctive with the bold head and long ferrule. This bow is in very good condition and weighs 61.5g
James introduced the full-thickness ebony tongue on his bow frogs, thereby avoiding the need for a wedge to keep the hair spread, but most of his bows have subsequently been adjusted to facilitate easy rehairing. This lovely example retains its original full-thickness ebony tongue as well as its original screw and eye.
The maker's marks on the handle and the underslide show that the frog is original to the bow
Materials:
Stick: pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata)
Mounts: silver, ebony (Diospyros spp)
Pearl: white mother of pearl (Pinctada maxima)
Thumb band: kangaroo leather (Macropus giganteus)
Lapping: silver
Face: silver
