Rose Theatre scabbard

Long leather scabbard for a sword found during the excavations of the Rose theatre on Bankside. This scabbard was found in the area of the stage and may be a theatrical prop. It is decorated with embossed lines and hatching. The scabbard is thicker on one side, suggesting that it contained a one-edged blade. It is also slightly curved which indicates it might be mimicking an ‘eastern’ style and therefore have been used by a character from the east. Weapons used during performances, unless they were loaned by members of the cast, were probably bought and made locally.

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.