Quillon dagger guard

Guard from a dagger, found during the excavations of the Rose theatre on Bankside. The guard would have protected the user’s hand during combat. It is decorated with openwork ‘dagger’ motifs and was probably made in Italy. The guard has a central quillon block, two quillons to the sides (one is now bent forward) and a damaged side ring. The blade is likely to have been a tapered double-edged one, up to 300 mm long. This was a 'left-handed dagger’, which had a companion rapier held in the right hand, a style that was popular from the mid 16th century. It was found in deposits underneath the second stage at the Rose (the original stage was altered in 1592) and so was probably a theatrical prop used during performances. The Rose was first built in 1587 and was one of four purpose-built playhouses on the south bank of the Thames in London (the others were the Globe, the Hope and the Swan). It was demolished in 1606. Archaeologists discovered the remains of the Rose in 1988. Reference: Bowsher, J. & Miller, P. (2009), 'The Rose and the Globe - playhouses of Shakespeare's Bankside, Southwark. Excavations 1988-90’, MOLA Monograph 48.