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An Egyptian bennu-bird captured in 3D

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An Egyptian limestone figure-mould of a bennu-bird (a heron or a phoenix) from 664-332 BC (Dynasty 26-30)The figure-moulds would have been used to create shapes of the heron-like birdA Konica-Minolta Range 7 laser scanner was used to record the figure-moulds in 3DScreenshot of a 3D digital model of one of the figure-moulds3D laser scanning allows an object to be recorded in sub-millimetre resolution and accuracy without touching itPhotos can be mapped onto the 3D surfaces created by laser scanningUsing specialist software we were able to create the shape (on the right) which the figure-mould (on the left) may have produced of the bennu-birdFrom the 3D data and using a 3D printer we made a replica figure-mouldFrom the digital data we were also able to 3D print the replica shape the mould may have created

Amongst the many items on display in the Ancient Worlds gallery| at World Museum are some fragile Egyptian figure-moulds. Figure-moulds were used for making shapes, in this case, of the Egyptian bennu-bird (a heron or phoenix). The carved limestone tablets were made and used in about 664-332 BC. Before the figure-moulds were installed in the gallery in November 2008, Conservation Technologies used a Konica Minolta Range 7 close-range 3D laser scanning system| to digitally record the surfaces of the moulds to sub-millimetre accuracy and create highly accurate 3D computer models of the pieces. The data from one of the computer models was inverted using specialist software and a plaster model of the bird created using a 3D printer|.

Acknowledgements

National Museums Liverpool

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