Rose Theatre slip-on shoe

This is a leather slip-on shoe for the left foot. It has slashed decoration near the toe where lines have been cut through the leather. The shoe was found during excavations of the Rose Theatre on Bankside. The Rose was 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. Most of the leatherwork found on the site related to footwear, most of it very worn. Reference: Bowsher, J. & Miller, P. (2009), 'The Rose and the Globe - playhouses of Shakespeare's Bankside, Southwark. Excavations 1988-90’, MOLA Monograph 48.