Full Sized 3D Print Reproduction of the Ungang Grottoes
The Yungang Grottoes, home of the one of the largest Buddhist sculptures has been recreated with 3D printing to be brought to the art museum in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong province. It is reported to be the first large-scale importation of a historical relic, not only does it replicate the Buddhist centrepiece but also recreates the cave, the pillars, the very walls of the original location are brought to life again.
The cave reproduction measures cave measures 17.9 meters tall, 13.6 meters wide, and the main Buddha stands at 9.93 meters tall. Small details such as the texture of the wall and colour as seen when originally scan are replicated to bring as a true experience in seining the original as scientifically possible. The original site of the Buddhist carved cave comes from the Yungang temple Grottoes in the north-eastern province of China named Shanxi. In Shanxi, the carvings began in 460 CE and worked on for 64 years to create one of the largest examples of rock-cut architecture and is seen today as one of the most famous Buddhist temples in China.
The utility of 3D printing to bring life sized reproductions has been achieved with the purpose of preserving artworks. In a past article I wrote, the destruction of ancient artefacts and statues in Iraq were being smashed to pieces by ISIS, while religious fervour…
