10 Nov 2014
British Museum releases first 'downloadable collection' for 3D printing
BY Tom Anstey
The British Museum is allowing people with 3D printers to bring its artefacts to life using an online platform to print them at home.
Working in collaboration with online 3D model hoster Sketchfab, the museum has released 14 pieces of its collection available for anyone with the capability to download and print them off anywhere in the world.
The museum’s first downloadable collection features models of busts, statues and sarcophagi, including a first century bust of Zeus, a marble head of Julius Caesar and the head of Egyptian pharaoh Amenemhat III from 1800 BC.
The British Museum has recently been looking at ways to expand towards new technological horizons, with another endeavour aimed at rebuilding the entire museum inside the videogame Minecraft. Prior to that, the institution started a Wikipedia-esque crowd-sourcing project to transcribe a handwritten catalogue dating back to the 18th century.
Close Window