The scene is from the mythological story of Vulcan, the god of fire, and Venus, the goddess of love. The tale was told in The Odyssey by the Greek poet Homer.

Wearing a mixture of ‘antique’ dress, as depicted in the 16th century, and the then fashionable dress, the gods of Olympus assemble before the palace of Vulcan, where two tiny figures, Mars and Venus, can dimly be seen in bed, in a lower loggia. Flanked by trees, four large foreground figures react to this distant scene. Jupiter, naked except for a blue cloak, points dramatically to the bedroom. He is identified by attributes; crown, eagle and thunderbolt. The woman seated near him probably represents his wife, Juno, who as protector of marriages was likely to disapprove of the affair of Venus, wife to Vulcan. On the right a goddess in a green gown, probably Diana, is in conversation with a young god, their gestures expressing surprise and disapprobation showing that they are discussing the affair. Among the more distant inhabitants of Olympus, Ceres supports a cornucopia of flowers and corn. A young god holds a trident but does not resemble the older bearded Neptune who appears in a major role in the tapestry from the same set (Neptune obtains the release of the lovers, V&A T.170-1978), and Hercules, in the middle distance, can be identified by his club and lion's skin.