Don’t touch! From hands-on to virtual – 3D access to Bristol Museum’s Japanese Netsuke

Aure Calvet, Xavi; Newnham, Kate

Abstract

At Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, an exhibition Netsuke: Miniature masterpieces from Japan was due to open in April 2020. The museum and the Centre for Fine Print Research, UWE were working in partnership to 3D scan some netsuke carvings to 3D print enlarged versions for hands-on use with school groups and visitors with visual impairments.
Due to Covid-19, the museum is closed and when it reopens the displays and programme must be virus-safe. Hands-on is largely off the cards. The netsuke exhibition will now be offered virtually in full to offer audiences the possibility of exploring the works interactively online. Xavier Aure is using a novel combination of imaging techniques to record the intricate carved details of the netsuke and allow online visitors a close examination of these miniatures.
What can these technologies offer in the new online landscape? What opportunities does it bring for inclusion, wellbeing and creativity?

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Heritage Network Symposium 2021
• Start Date: Feb 12, 2021
• End Date: Feb 12, 2021
• Deposit Date: Feb 26, 2021
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7148764