This is the skull of an adult female brown bear. Her eyes once stared out at crowds of people on London’s Bankside who had come to watch her engage in “sport” with dogs. The commercial pastime known as “bearbaiting” was a major attraction in England in the 1500s and 1600s. A bear would be chained to a stake and dogs set upon it (spectators would often bet upon the outcome).<br /> <br /> Probably the most famous bearwards—people who kept the bears—are the playhouse builder Philip Henslowe and his son-in-law, the famous actor Edward Alleyn. Alleyn is a prime example of how commercial entertainment not only provided leisure for the public but promised social mobility for those involved (just like William Shakespeare). Alleyn paired his interest in both animal entertainment and acting with other typically middling characteristics—in particular, charity. By 1605, Alleyn had purchased the manor of Dulwich (just south of London), where he built his house as well as almshouses, a charitable school, and its chapel. The early modern entertainment industry, of which Alleyn was a key innovator, brought him up from jobbing actor to successful ‘play’ entrepreneur and then eventually further beyond.
Bear skull (Skull, female bear), 1500s and 1600s

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Bear skull

Bear skull (Skull, female bear), 1500s and 1600s

This is the skull of an adult female brown bear. Her eyes once stared out at crowds of people on London’s Bankside who had come to watch her engage in “sport” with dogs. The commercial pastime known as “bearbaiting” was a major attraction in England in the 1500s and 1600s. A bear would be chained to a stake and dogs set upon it (spectators would often bet upon the outcome).

Probably the most famous bearwards—people who kept the bears—are the playhouse builder Philip Henslowe and his son-in-law, the famous actor Edward Alleyn. Alleyn is a prime example of how commercial entertainment not only provided leisure for the public but promised social mobility for those involved (just like William Shakespeare). Alleyn paired his interest in both animal entertainment and acting with other typically middling characteristics—in particular, charity. By 1605, Alleyn had purchased the manor of Dulwich (just south of London), where he built his house as well as almshouses, a charitable school, and its chapel. The early modern entertainment industry, of which Alleyn was a key innovator, brought him up from jobbing actor to successful ‘play’ entrepreneur and then eventually further beyond.

Object Type Skull, female bear
Year 1500s and 1600s
Material Bone
Owned By Dulwich College
Keywords skull; bear; female;
Image Credit Dulwich College Bear Skull.

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