Re: The spherical solar power generator It is certainly an elegant solution. If a solar generator had been featured in a golden age science fiction film, it would have looked exactly like that.
Re: The spherical solar power generator Yes, it is steampunk. That really captures the spirit. It also reminds me of the solar generator from First Men in the Moon (1964).
Re: The spherical solar power generator Decidedly so! The pattern replicates because it's so useful. Your pic is not from the 13th century, but more likely from the 16th, which had already seen 2 centuries of gunpowder, and cannon, as well as arbelesques (rifles).
There was an arms race tween armorers and weapon makers. Sword work continued as well. The steampunk thing is only funny if it indeed had worked.