Slightly different from my normal postings, but still relevant, so whatever.
This is a surviving leather scabbard for Rondel Dagger, said to be Italian and dated to ca. 1500, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
It's an excellent example of the medieval /early renaissance aesthetic. Note how virtually none of the exposed surface is without decoration (covered in a flowing pattern I find quite appealing.)
(A beautiful reproduction for a Baselard by Tod of Tod's Stuff.)
This is classic for medieval leatherwork, it would virtually all have been covered completely in this sort of design, often accented with paints and the like.
(A reproduction of the sword and scabbard of Humphrey de Bohun, also by Tod's Stuff and a fantastic example of dyed leather with carved decorations accented by paint.)
That we see so many plain scabbards in reenactment and similar historical activities is really a shame, because scabbards and sheaths were beautifully decorated in their time of use, and this is a fact that should really get more attention.
