Lot 19: Stefano della Bella (Florence 1610-1664)

Stefano della Bella (Florence 1610-1664)
A cartouche in the form of two mermen with intertwined tails supporting harpies whose wings support an eagle, with pairs of writhing serpents at either side and with a group of four intertwined serpents in the centre
black chalk, pen and brown ink, watermark sun
7½ x 8 in. (18.8 x 20.3 cm.)

Thomas Tomkins, the calligrapher (1743-1816); Royde, at Hickman's Gallery, 29 St James's Street, 25-8 February 1818, lot 289 (an album of '270 DESIGNS by Steffano [sic] della Bella'), £32 10/- to Holroyd, as recorded in the annotated catalogue at the British Museum: could this be a mis-transcritpion of Holford?
Robert Holford, by descent to
Sir George Holford; Sotheby's London, 22 May 1928, lot [...?] (the complete album).
Anonymous sale; Christie's London, 18 March 1975, lot 70.
with P.& D. Colnaghi.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, New York, 23 January 2002, lot 25, where acquired by the present owner.

Stefano della Bella (Florence 1610-1664)
A cartouche in the form of two mermen with intertwined tails supporting harpies whose wings support an eagle, with pairs of writhing serpents at either side and with a group of four intertwined serpents in the centre
black chalk, pen and brown ink, watermark sun
7½ x 8 in. (18.8 x 20.3 cm.)