Design of the Week: Bicha of Balazote

By on February 3rd, 2025 in Design, news

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Bicha de Balazote 3D scan [Source: Printables]

This week’s selection is the Bicha de Balazote 3D scan by Printables contributor mzedp.

This is a 3D scan of a famous sculpture found in the Museo Arqueologico Nacional in Madrid. The sculpture is thought to have been made over 2600 years ago by pre-Roman residents of the Iberian Peninsula.

The sculpture is famous enough to have its own Wikipedia entry, where it is described as follows:

“Carved of two limestone blocks in the second half of the 6th century BCE, the statue is 93 cm long and 73 cm high. It is a chimeric synthesis of man and a bull. The body is in repose and shows good knowledge of the traits of that animal, with the forelegs bent under the chest and hind legs tucked under the belly. The tail is curved on the left thigh and ends in a tuft of hair. The head is that of a horned, bearded man with bull’s ears.”

Archaeologists believe the sculpture was originally part of a larger structure, perhaps as a feature adornment on a facade. This is because one corner of the sculpture is similar to other sculptures used in that manner.

The 3D scan was obtained by mzedp using photogrammetry, where a series of images is taken of a subject from all angles. It’s not known which specific photogrammetry application was used.

Capturing museum scans is now straightforward with the availability of many apps that can be operated from a smartphone. Usually, the only difficulty is in handling questions from museum security staff curious about what’s going on.

I’m fascinated with sculptures like this because of something incredible that happens when you print them. When I hold them in my hand, I think about the original creator of the sculpture from centuries past, and wonder what they may have thought about their design being replicated by magic machinery on the other side of the planet.

Via Printables

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!