Prosper Colas

Who was Prosper Colas?

François "Prosper" Colas was a French archetier / bow maker based in Mirecourt, France.

Born in Goincourt in 1842, he apprenticed locally, and was influenced by the late Dominique Peccatte school. Prosper Colas's work is similar to that of François Bazin, Charles Claude Husson, and Pierre Cuniot. Around 1871, he came to Paris where he likely met Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume and worked for him. The first bows bearing his brand can be dated to this period and reflect Vuillaume's influence. Prosper Colas worked for a varied number of makers and produced a huge quantity of bows. His best production was from the turn of the century. His lower tier production is stamped “P.C.”. One can also find instruments bearing Prosper Colas's label as he sold mail order instruments made by the primary Mirecourt workshops of his time: Jérôme Thibouville Lamy and Marc Laberte.

"Prosper Colas died in 1919, at which point his business was taken over by Ferret-Marcotte".