What automated object did Leonardo da Vinci build for a 1515 celebration in France?

Leonardo da Vinci built a mechanical lion for a 1515 celebration in France.

The automaton was reportedly made for the meeting of King Francis I of France and Pope Leo X at Bologna. Accounts say the lion could walk and open its chest, revealing fleurs-de-lis, the emblematic lilies associated with the French monarchy. The moving display demonstrated Leonardo’s skill in mechanical entertainment as well as art.

The original mechanism has not survived, so details about its exact construction are uncertain. Modern reconstructions have been made from historical descriptions and Leonardo’s mechanical principles. It should not be confused with Leonardo’s later mechanical knight, another automaton often called his robot.