Philipp GALLE (Haarlem 1537 - Antwerp 1612) “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium. OSTRICH HUNT ”Original burin engraving from a subject by Johannes Stradano preparatory drawing for the tapestries of Cosimo de 'Medici's villa in Poggio a Caiano. Exemplary in the very rare first state of four, without the numbering in the lower left, therefore from the first edition comprising only forty-four subjects and whose frontispiece shows the date 1578 (see Baroni Vannucci page 371), printed on a portion of thin paper wire rod bearing “Gloved hand with flower” watermark Briquet 10837, typical of Northern European paper production of the second half of the 16th century, slightly wavy, complete with the impression of the sheet and with margins of different sizes, with various small defects at the edges but overall in good condition. Bibliography: Baroni Vannucci "Jan van der Straet ..." Milan 1997 page 382 n ° 62. The Illustrated Bartsch No. 104/15. Measurements in mm: 213ca x 297ca