3D digitisation and modelling of liturgical metal artefacts

Abstract

The present work is aimed at showing the results obtained by testing different operational solutions for single-camera photogrammetric acquisitions of numerous complex metal liturgical artefact preserved in the Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli in Naples (Italy). The digitisation activity is aimed at supporting documentation, restoration, valorisation and dissemination of a rich liturgical collection that is not accessible to the public for security reasons. The number and diversity of the pieces required an expeditious surveying activity conducted in situ with low-cost instrumentation and image-based techniques adopted and compared with reference to the geometric-formal complexity and state of conservation of the objects. According to the level of difficulty acquisition, this work shows the results of the digitalisation of three different types identified among the many different liturgical objects of the collection about their different geometric, compositional and technological configuration in terms of topology, shape, composition, materials and manufacturing technique. The adopted workflow produced results that allow qualitatively assess the examined objects and their materials, supporting architects, experts in the restoration of metal artefacts and art historians: the produced digital documentation represents a 3D digital support for restoration activities and, above all, to plane activities aimed at conservation and preventive maintenance, as well as for valorisation and dissemination activities through digital information systems.