3D printing helps cultural heritage destroyed by Islamic State roar back to life
- A 3D-printed replica of the 3,000-year-old Lion of Mosul destroyed by Isis in 2014 has been created by Google, modelled from crowdsourced photos
- The figure is part of the ‘Culture Under Attack’ show at London’s Imperial War Museum that looks at how war devastates societies’ cultural fabric
A figure of a roaring lion, about the size of a loaf of bread, is the latest step in the fight to preserve culture from conflict.
The sculpture is a replica of a colossal 3,000-year-old statue from the Temple of Ishtar in Nimrud, in what is now Iraq. The stone statue was one of many artefacts from the Mosul Museum destroyed by the Islamic State group after it overran the city in 2014.
The replica Lion of Mosul, which can be viewed online, was modelled from crowdsourced photos taken by Mosul Museum visitors in happier times, and 3D printed as part of Google’s digital arts and culture project.
It is going on display at London’s Imperial War Museum in an exhibition that looks at how war devastates societies’ cultural fabric – and how ingenious and often heroic steps are taken to preserve it.
Chance Coughenour, digital archaeologist at Google Arts and Culture, says the exhibition “highlights the potential of technology – both in terms of digitally preserving culture and telling these amazing stories in engaging new ways.”
