Interlace knot crossed by parallel lines
Red-chalk knot design with pen trials below
In red chalk (sanguigna), a compact interlace knot of looping, interwoven bands is drawn with a set of straight parallel lines running horizontally through and past it, a motif of the kind Leonardo explored in his ornamental knot designs. Lower on the leaf are a few loose strokes in pen and ink. The V&A caption identifies the two elements as a knot crossed by parallel lines and pen trials (tratti di penna); these pen marks are trials rather than transcribed text.
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Interlace knot crossed by parallel lines
A tight knot of looping, interwoven bands is drawn in red chalk, with several straight parallel lines passing horizontally through it and extending beyond to either side. The design belongs to Leonardo's repertoire of ornamental interlace.