This very rare Italian etching can probably be dated around the middle of the 16th century and, to our knowledge, is not recorded. The somewhat experimental manner, in particular the fact the all the etched lines have the same depth and strength, suggest that this print is the work of an artist not accustomed to the etching technique. The backing sheet is inscribed twice with attributions to the Bolognese painter and etcher Bartolomeo Passarotti (1529-1592), who also worked in Rome with Taddeo Zuccaro (1529-1566). That Passarotti, whose etching style is reminiscent of Parmigianino and the School of Fontainebleau, comes to mind is not far-fetched, although direct comparisons with his printed works don't necessarily support this attribution.
The subject of this curious print is the 'Madonna della Cintola' (Madonna of the Girdle), an episode narrated by Jacopo da Voragine: according to his Legenda Aurea, the Virgin Mary - seen here seated on a cloud - as proof of her ascent into Heaven dropped a girdle to the Apostle Saint Thomas, who did not want to believe in Her death, burial and assumption. The subject was very popular in Tuscany and Umbria, as the relic of the girdle is preserved in the cathedral of Prato. This regional association would suggest an origin of the print in North-Central Italy, while the arched shape of the plate might indicate that it was based on a local altarpiece, which may not have survived.