JEAN-JACQUES MILLANT; THE ARTISTI have a love for my family that I do not quite know how to describe, but I honestly often wonder how my love for violin bows would have been developed and what level of knowledge I would have reached if I had been the son of someone like Mº Raffin. If you are the son of someone like him you might have talent, but would you have a love so complete?
Violin Bow by Jean-Jacques Millant – tortoise, gold and whale Jean-Jacques was born on the 11th of october 1928, in Paris. He was son of Roger Millant, and Madeleine Levas – obviously, because of his origin, he didn't have much choice for his future. His father, his uncle Max, and later, his cousin Bernard, all worked as violin makers. Jean-Jacques was practically born with a planer in his hand, in the workshop rue de Rome 51, in Paris. When one was born in such a family, in that period, the only way ahead was: bows or instruments? The choice of Jean-Jacques was to be the bows which explains an aspect of his character.
Violin Bow by Jean-Jacques Millant – gold and tortoise, the frog a personal model According to his cousin Mº Bernard Millant, and as you can see by yourself, Jean-Jacques had excellent manual skills in bow making. Skills he expressed in other ways as well, through figurative arts, especially painting. If he'd had a choice, he would probably have followed his artistic vein, instead he chose bow making which allowed some creativity. A violin maker only use wood, whereas a bow maker has several different materials. He must have seen it as an escape. The fact is, that He, remains the last real creative after Francois Nicolas Voirin. In 1946, after the war had finished, Jean-Jacques, and his cousin Bernard, moved to Mirecourt. Jean-Jacques, fulfilled his apprenticeship at the workshop Morizot Frères, where he stayed until 1948. Whereas the cousin went to New York, in 1949, Jean-Jacques returned to Paris, where he worked with his father until 1951. Then he opened his first workshop in nº 3, Rue de Costantinople, then he moved to Rue Mount-Dore and finally to nº 19 Rue de Bucarest. In 1970 Jean-Jacques, won the title “Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France”, a competition where he later became member of the jury. He died the 6th of february 1998, because of a serious illness. He left many bows which are appreciated by musicians and Collectors and people like I who recognize his manual skills as well as a rare creativity. The Bows
Violin bow by Jean-Jacques Millant – gold, tortoise, the frog a personal model Already from the beginning of his career Jean-Jacques, was more interested in the frogs than in the bow heads, though both perfectly executed. The style of the bow heads are clearly inspired by the Peccatte school; with a preference, either to Peccatte, or to one of his best collaboraters, Joseph Henry. The frogs were the real passion to Jean-Jacques. To begin with he used an octagonal support like “Hill” from the Morizot school, and the throats were deep and narrow. Half way through his career, he releases his creativity to the full, and the result can be seen on the photo above. It is the last real style innovation and despite what purists say, I personally like this frog a lot. I recognize that this graft is very difficult to make. It probably causes stability problems and changing the horse hair becomes more complicated – but the geometry is captivating. I would probably have made it differently, but I must say it leaves a pleasant sensation of lightness having removed the rear part. And in a way the the intersection of the lines defines the geometry; the upper end of the throat that is projected to the downward angle, and the upper corner helped by the triangle eye leeds towards the ring, makes it more similar to the development of a bow head than to a frog. There wasn't much request for this model, therefore in the last part of his career Jean-Jacques returned to make classic models. Along with Bernard Ouchard, he is to be considered one of the promoters of modern French bow making. To read more about this topic: JEAN-FRANCOIS RAFFIN; THE CHOSEN ONE BERNARD GEORGES LOUIS MILLANT; THE KEEPER OF TIME FRANCOIS NICOLAS VOIRIN; THE PERFECT BALANCE MORIZOT FRERE AND THE SUPERHEOES VIOLIN BOWCOLLABORATION BETWEEN PECCATTE AND HENRY 1840 – 45 JOSEPH HENRY; L'INFANT PRODIGE BERNARD OUCHARD; THE HUMBLE EDUCATOR So long, Paolo
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