The Fishmongers Pageant, or Lord Mayor's Day, 1616.

For the annual Lord Mayor's Show of 1616, the Fishmongers Company put an a lavish display to celebrate the appointment of fishmonger, Sir John Leman, to the mayoralty of London.

A number of colourful pageants, or floats, were included as part of the Show and moved through the streets of the city, which were crowded with onlookers. Leading the Fishmongers Company's procession was the Fishing Ship, which saw fishermen using nets to cast live fish into the crowd. Next came the dolphin from the Fishmongers Company's arms, and following this was the King of the Moors, seen here in this print.

This display was designed to symbolise the newly-made friendship between the Fishmongers and the Goldsmiths. Prior to this, they had been engaged in a violent rivalry. The King of the Moors, astride a golden leopard and wearing a crown, is depicted throwing gold and silver all around him. He is accompanied by a number of men on foot, dressed as soldiers.

As well as establishing new alliances, the Fishmongers Company's pageant also focused on its long history. One of the pageants was a Lemon Tree, a pun on the name of the current mayor and part of his crest, while another referred to Sir William Walworth, a former Mayor and member of the Fishmongers Guild.