Jean Pierre Marie Persoit (c.1783-c. after 1854)

Much of Jean Pierre Marie Persoit’s (c.1783-c. after 1854) life remains shrouded in mystery. Persoit was born in Mirecourt, and he began his career as a goldsmith, but it is unknown where he learned bow-making. His style bears some marks of Nicolas Lupot and François Xavier Tourte; however, nothing can be confirmed. When Persoit married in 1812, the marriage certificate listed the vague job title of “Compagnon de Luthier,” or “comrade of a luthier,” implying some sort of subordinate position.

By 1825, Persoit was making bows with his signature, enigmatic stamp, “P.R.S.,” and some time between 1823 and 1828, Persoit joined Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume’s Parisian workshop. There, Persoit made one of his most important contributions to archeterie: mentoring a young Dominique Peccatte and other Vuillaume workshop bow-makers like Claude Joseph Fonclause.

In 1839, Persoit began working independently before stopping abruptly in 1851. He disappears from the historical record, and the date and manner of his death remain a mystery. All musicologists have been able to determine is he likely lived past 1854. His bows are rare but of a very high quality, and many consider Persoit an archetier as important as Tourte and Peccatte.