French bow maker François Lotte was born in Mirecourt in 1889, the son of George Lotte a violin maker who in the late 19th century worked for Vuillaume in Paris. In all likelihood François apprenticed with Charles Nicolas Bazin in Mirecourt before moving on to work for another prominent Mirecourt archetier Eugène Cuniot-Hury. In 1926 Lotte moved to Paris and established his own workshop.

By 1936 the demand for his bows grew and Lotte began bringing assistants into the workshop. In 1940 his son Roger François, an accomplished bow maker began assisting him. Roger François took over his father’s workshop in 1960 when his father retired.

• Octagonal stick of reddish brown Pernambuco
• Ebony frog with silver mounts
• Solid silver button
• 71.59 grams