After partnering with Artec 3D in 2014, Threeding.com has used the company’s 3D scanning technology to digital capture hundreds of Ancient Greek artifacts, which are now all available on their 3D printing marketplace. Located on the Threeding.com website, customers can find just about anything they’d wish to print from Greek antiquity, from the head of Zeus to the head of Hygeia and more.
To create the hundreds of printable artifacts, artist Krasimir Todorov, of ZN ART, worked with the Threeding team to scan and restore objects with Artec’s Spider and Eva scanners, as well the Artec Studio software. Now, that they’ve captured the items, they’ve begun selling them on the Threeding site, in batches. The first collection includes such sculptures as the Venus di Milo, which can be purchased as a printable file or ordered as a complete print through the website.
Threeding states that the object can be, upon request, “made of sheet material through ZN ART, an original technology based on invention and computer hardware,” though they don’t go into detail about what this means exactly. However, Todorov says that he will be opening a portal that will, hopefully, have more information. He explains, “Soon will be opened a ZN ART portal, which will enable obtaining Z ZN ART space models (puzzles). This is a new option for systematic space training and modeling, in which each one of us is an author. Unlike the ready 3D printed model, ZN ART has a constructive system with content that allows harmonious creation by the author – client of space objects made of sheet material with high quality.”
Cveta-Maria Partaleva, co-founder of Threeding.com, said of the models, “Creating this collection of 3D printing models of Anceint Greek artifacts is a milestone for us. Although we already had fantastic ancient artifacts in 3D printing format from our other museum projects, these relics have tremendous meaning for human history and will make Threeding a desirable partner of all museums and collectors who are looking to present their artefacts in 3D printing friendly manner.”
In addition to these new Greek models, Threeding has already worked with several European museums to create what they suggest is the largest collection of 3D printable historical artifacts. With more such scanning projects on the way, the company believes that they will have more than 1,000 such printable museum objects available for sale, as well. As beautiful as the scans appear to be, the files come with a hefty price tag, perhaps reflecting the work that went into creating them. The file for The Boxer sculpture, dating back between 480 BC and 323 BC, has a price of $159.60 and, to have it printed in full-color gypsum, costs a whopping $1574.65. A fair price to pay for a precise replica of a two-thousand-year-old object?
