Sheath

Incomplete leather knife sheath with impressed and stamped decoration. The top of the sheath is missing. The decoration is in two sections to reflect the handle and blade areas. The blade section swells outwards slightly just above the tip. The front two panels consist of impressed curving and linear motifs and lozenge-shaped frames that contain a mix of small fleur-de-lys and lions rampant stamped motifs. The back has plain impressed linear designs and a centre back seam with edge/grain stitch holes. At some point the sheath has been cut down one side and then restitched with flesh/grain stitch holes.

The wide swelling of the lower blade is unusual and would seem to indicate that this sheath was made for a particular shape of knife. However, given the narrow width of the handle section, a wider blade would not fit into the sheath. This is reminiscent of sheaths A3662 and 4662, although they both have broad, blunt ends, as opposed to this one which ends in a point. Other examples of sheaths with broader blade sections than handles are know from elsewhere - from Ely (Q Mould & E Cameron, pers comm) and Bergen (Nottveit, 2009102, fig 5.19).

Published: Ward-Perkins, J.B., London Museum Medieval Catalogue, London, 1940, 191 & Pl L, no. 1