A drawing of a richly decorated Renaissance bedchamber, in the centre of which three women are seated. The woman on the left bathes the silkworms with wine, while the one on the right detatches the worms from the silk; on the left are two more women, one putting silkworms in bags which the other places beside her breasts to keep them warm; two further women are on the right, one standing with a basket, while the other removes worms from the silk prior to placing them on the mulberry leaves. This is a preparatory drawing for plate 3 of the series entitled Vermis Sericus. RCIN 904755, 904763-904766 are finished preparatory drawings for five of the six engravings in reverse, entitled Vermis Sericus. This is a history of the silkworm and silk-spinning, by Karel de Malle, published by Philip Galle, without date or place, and dedicated to Constantia Alamannia, wife of Raffaello de 'Medici in Florence.