Manufacturing of ceramic venus figurine replica from a mold by combining traditional and digital technologies

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a method for creating a ceramic Venus figurine replica from a mold in the Museum of Ceramic Techniques collection in Koło, Poland stored at the museum for many years. Moreover, none of the Venus figurines in this collection have been preserved to the present day. Our process starts with partially degraded mold fragments and ends with an actual copy of the Venus figurine in three forms: faience kilned to bisque, porcelain, and glazed faience. The entire process involves understanding old manufacturing technology, conservation supervision, and state-of-the-art 3D scanning, data processing, and 3D printing technologies. We began with a preservation state evaluation that included a technical analysis of the degradation state of the mold. Then, we applied 3D scanning technology using the structured light method. Later, we integrated all mold fragments into front and back 3D models. These 3D models were optimized for 3D printing technology and were used to manufacture the mold. Finally, the printed fragments were corrected using traditional techniques performed by art conservators. This process took comparatively less time and produced a more realistic result than would have been observed if only 3D software had been used. This process also enabled us to create educational materials for the Koło museum about old manufacturing technologies. From the point of view of museum visitors, the copies are made with sufficient detail that they are indistinguishable from handmade artifacts. Our estimates show that combining both techniques (traditional and digital) saved approximately 25% of the time that would have been used if the individual techniques had been used separately. We also believe that our use case could be transferred to a broader group of objects that use molding in their production processes.