The Garden Temple at Ince Blundell: a case study in the recording and non-contact replication of decayed sculpture

Abstract

Many important pieces of sculpture are located in exposed sites where they are open to chemical and physical attack by atmospheric agents. In some cases outdoor sculpture is now reaching a critical condition where the cohesion of the material of construction is almost lost. In these circumstances we face a stark choice between removing the sculpture to a safer environment or allowing its destruction. The removal of sculpture from its original site is an emotive issue and it is clearly not acceptable to simply leave a void where the original was located. The obvious solution is to replace the original with a replica. This presents a range of problems since we must achieve a sympathetic and accurate replica without any damaging contact occurring to the original object. The use of a laser scanner combined with the latest manufacturing techniques presents a potential solution to the need for recording and non-contact replication. The aim of this paper is to highlight a case study involving the non-contact replication of two decayed marble sculptures at the Garden Temple of Ince Blundell Hall on Merseyside.