Spingarda with a note on the cat's eye at night
A heavy gun and mechanical parts, with an optics observation dated 6 May
In red chalk (sanguigna) Leonardo sketches a spingarda, a long barrelled heavy gun, together with mechanical details including a boxed carriage, ringed fittings and a small tripod stand. Above the drawing, in mirror script dated the 6th of May, he records an optics observation: the eye of a cat placed at night between a light and the observer's eye appears to be made of fire. The page thus joins a weapon study to a note on the reflective glow of a cat's eye.
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The cat's eye appears fiery at night
Leonardo notes that if one's eye at night interposes itself between the light and the eye of a cat, that eye will appear to be of fire. The observation records the reflective glow of an animal's eye caught between a light source and the viewer.
Spingarda and mechanical details
The main figure is a spingarda, a long heavy gun shown on its mount with the barrel raised. Around it are mechanical particulars: a boxed carriage, ringed fittings and a small three-legged stand.