Copyright Protection of 3D Digitized Artistic Sculptures by Adding Unique Local Inconspicuous Errors by Sculptors

In recent years, digitization of cultural heritage objects, for the purpose of creating virtual museums, is becoming increasingly popular. Moreover, cultural institutions use modern digitization methods to create three-dimensional (3D) models of objects of historical significance to form digital libraries and archives. This research aims to suggest a method for protecting these 3D models from abuse while making them available on the Internet. The proposed method was applied to a sculpture, an object of cultural heritage. It is based on the digitization of the sculpture altered by adding local clay details proposed by the sculptor and on sharing on the Internet a 3D model obtained by digitizing the sculpture with a built-in error. The clay details embedded in the sculpture are asymmetrical and discreet to be unnoticeable to an average observer. The original sculpture was also digitized and its 3D model created. The obtained 3D models were compared and the geometry deviation was measured to determine that the embedded error was invisible to an average observer and that the watermark can be extracted. The proposed method simultaneously protects the digitized image of the artwork while preserving its visual experience. Other methods cannot guarantee this.

Fabrication of Ceramic Moulds Using Recycled Shell Powder and Sand with Geopolymer Technology in Investment Casting

Lost-wax casting, also called precision casting, is the process of casting a duplicate metal sculpture cast an original sculpture. The ceramic shell mould used in lost-wax casting usually consists of several layers formed with fine zircon and granular mullite particles using silica gel as a binder. However, it is a complicated and time-consuming process. Large amounts of waste moulds that need to be disposed and recycled become an environmental concern. In this study, waste shell sand from the recycled mould and calcium carbonate/metakaolin were used as raw materials to prepare geopolymer slurry and coating. The influence of mixing ratio and the SiO2/K2O modulus of the alkali solution on the setting time and green/fired strength were evaluated. Ceramic shells with one to four layers of geopolymer slurry and waste sand sprinkling were fabricated and tested for their permeability and green/fired strength. It was found that geopolymer shells had higher green/fired strength and better permeability than the original zircon/mullite shell. For foundry practice, metal casts were fabricated using recycled ceramic shell moulds with one to four layers of geopolymer coating. All cast results have their dimensions all within tolerance limitation and up to 13 h can be saved for the preparation of shell moulds.

Investigation of Wind-Resistance Reinforcement for a Sculpture

The sculpture is a special structure. The wind-resistance issue of such a special structure is easily ignored by structural engineers. In this paper, the wind-resistance problem of a real sculpture ‘water-drop’ is investigated by wind tunnel test and theoretical analysis. The results show the original sculpture structure has severe wind-resistance defects. According to these defects, some reinforcing measures for the structure are put forward and put into execution. After the structural modification, the sculpture ‘water-drop’ has been hit by typhoon two times and now stands without any damage. Finally, a workflow is summarized for the wind-resistance appraisal and reinforcement of the existing structures.

Acquisition and Supply of Casts of the Parthenon Sculptures by the British Museum, 1835–1939

The development of our present-day knowledge of the Parthenon sculptures can be charted in the history of the British Museum's casts of them. Following their acquisition in 1816, the Elgin Marbles were added to periodically in an attempt to render the collection – at least where the Parthenon sculptures were concerned – as complete as possible. These additions include some fragments of original sculpture but, mostly, they consist of casts of sculpture found on the Acropolis following Greek independence. The activities of the Greek Archaeological Society on the Acropolis, removing later accretions and restoring the monuments, created a desire in Athens for casts of the Elgin Marbles. The story of the two-way traffic in casts between Athens and London is told here and documented from the archives of the British Museum.