The element Water depicts Neptune and Thetis riding the waves drawn by seahorses.
The borders are filled with seashells, coral and marine trophies; the top border with the arms of John, 5th Earl of Exeter (1648-1700) and his Countess Anne (1649-1703), supported by dolphins.
The side borders have oblong medallions of ships (partly concealed behind the state bed), corner roundels with marine subjects and a central Latin text relative to the element at the centre of the bottom border.
It is signed FH; the maker’s mark IVdb, 405cm high, 471cm wide.
The 1763 Burghley Inventory records: ‘the bed chamber 2nd George Room 3 Pieces of Tapestry represent Fire- Water & Air.’
