Scanning and digital documentation of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery & Temple
The temple is said to be over 100 years old and the original artistic or heritage value is depleting. There is a need of conserving the techniques which were used in history by the craftsmen. The 3D scanning of the artifacts can be a good solution to accurately capture the detailed handwork of the craftsmen.
FARO laser scanner is useful in capturing the details of the motifs and accurately documenting the information in a software format that can be studied or represented in the form of 3D printing by different mediums.
Various benefits of 3D scanning and documentation would be to create an authentic virtual copy. Manipulation of the 3D mesh to enhance the handworks which is degraded over time. This process helps in preserving the Buddhist culture and the documentation could be studied widely. A total of 15 architectural motifs were scanned which represent the story of the daily life of the Buddhist mythology characters.
Observations
The area which was scanned in the temple which includes the 15 architectural motifs
Photograph of the motif which depicts a story of the boat in the storm, and it seems the boatmen are praying to the god on the left and some demons on the right
It is observed that some kind of spray paints were used to paint over the 3D models. Stencils might have been used to make different shades and colours over the 3D sculptures for example the fire as shown in the above figure.
Some cracks were observed on the joinery of the hands, neck area, or the other protruding artifacts. It was observed that some kind of wiring must have been used to attach the items to the main body.
