Page 4 - A_stitch_in_time

Below the house, on row five, to the left and right of the central grapevine, there are
images of Perseus on horseback and Saint Katherine riding a lion. These were
characters from the Lord Mayor’s Show of
1632 held in honour of Nicholas Rainton’s
appointment as Lord Mayor.

Writing after the pageant, Sir Nicholas Rainton’s account refers to both characters:

… more wonders were to come as my procession passed through the streets. The
next actor gave us St. Katherine, the patron saint of my guild — the Haberdashers.

Next, … we were met by noble Perseus, hero of Greek mythology and rider of the
fabled wing’ed horse Pegasus.

The bottom row shows an elephant bearing a castle, described in Rainton’s account
as ‘an amazing new spectacle’. The elephant symbolised the strength and skill
needed to support the City of London. It expressed the hope that Sir Nicholas
Rainton would have the ‘ability of mind and strength of arm’ to do this as Lord Mayor.
Typical floral motifs are to the left and right of the elephant.

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