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Journal of Cultural Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489

Available online at

ScienceDirectwww.sciencedirect.com

riginal article

ethods and tools for the classification and cataloging of antiqueoulds from the collection of the Richard-Ginori factory

onica Gherardelli a,∗, Giulia Adembrib, Rita Balleri a, Sergio Di Tondoc

Department of Information Engineering (DINFO), University of Florence, Via S. Marta, 3, 50100 Florence, ItalyICON Foundation, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, ItalyDepartment of Architecture (DIDA), University of Florence, Piazza Ghiberti, 27, 50100 Florence, Italy

a r t i c l e i n f o

rticle history:eceived 11 April 2013ccepted 3 November 2013vailable online 27 November 2013

eywords:laster mouldata-Baseirtual modelD laser scanningrtistic porcelainichard-Ginori factory

a b s t r a c t

This study proposes a procedure for digitally classifying and cataloging moulds which belong to thehistoric collection of the Ginori porcelain factory in Doccia (Sesto Fiorentino, Italy). In addition to avast number of antique plaster moulds, this collection includes artistic porcelain artifacts obtained fromcasting porcelain using the moulds and models made of various materials. The proposed methodologyincludes two workflows: the first starts with photographic and casting processes conducted recently onvarious groups of moulds and involves historical surveys for investigating the relationships between thevarious sets of moulds, the models from which they were derived and the porcelain objects derived fromthem. The second workflow was applied when no information was available for a set of moulds, andinvolved 3D scanning of the moulds, with virtual reconstruction of the corresponding model followedby a final art historical survey like that used in the first procedure. 3D scanning techniques and succes-sive model reconstruction can also be applied for obtaining a virtual model in the first process, whenthe physical model was lost, damaged or never existed. The variety and extent of the Ginori collectionsuggested the use of a customized Data-Base (DB) and a set of functions designed to manage and extractinformation, data and archived images. This filing system, called DocciaDigitalArchive (DDA), also makes itpossible to specify the relationships between the different typology samples (prototype models, moulds

derived from them, handmade porcelain objects produced from these moulds), which are associatedwhen the same subject is portrayed. The DB structure conceived also provides the possibility of incorpo-rating pictures and data of known archetypes. This additional information makes it possible to place eachsubject in its historical and artistic context. For each sample filed in the DDA system, documentary cards,which summarize data, images, reports and links to other entities or samples connected to the subjectconsulted, can be viewed on a suitable interface.

. Research aims

This work is part of a project for documenting the remark-ble collection of the Richard-Ginori factory which includes artisticbjects in porcelain, antique models in wax, plaster and terracotta,rom which piece-moulds derive, and thousands of antique moulds.n this paper, the focus is on the classification methodology of theollection of moulds, which makes it possible to see what object itas used to make and to relate each set of moulds to the model from

hich it was derived and the porcelain version. A non-invasive 3D

canning of moulds and subsequent virtual reconstruction are partf the proposed methodology as an alternative to the traditional

∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +390554796519.E-mail addresses: monica.gherardelli@unifi.it (M. Gherardelli),

iulia.adembri@gmail.com (G. Adembri), rita.balleri@alice.it (R. Balleri),ergioditondo@ndas3a.it (S. Di Tondo).

296-2074/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.ttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2013.11.001

© 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

method of classification based on the casting method. A digital sys-tem of archiving and consultation (DDA) was specifically designedto file data, images and relationships between samples constitutingthe Richard-Ginori collection.

2. Introduction

Starting in 1737, when Marquis Carlo Ginori founded the “Mani-fattura Ginori” (hereafter called the Doccia Manufactory) on hisestate at Doccia in Sesto Fiorentino, he purchased sculptures inplaster, terracotta and wax, which were used as templates for theproduction of plaster moulds necessary for porcelain modeling.These templates or prototype models are also called derivation

models. The history of these models is very long, and ranges fromthose created by sculptors and acquired by Carlo Ginori, to thosecreated by factory modelers and, in the nineteenth century, by aca-demic artists who collaborated with the Manufactory [1,2]. The

480 M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of Cultur

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ig. 1. View of the “Voltone” at the GRG factory, ex-Richard-Ginori factory©Associazione Amici di Doccia/Arrigo Coppitz).

ollection of the Doccia Manufactory also includes thousands ofrtistic porcelain artifacts made between 1737 and 1895 when theactory belonged to the Ginori family, items produced later, start-ng in 1896, when the factory was owned by the Richard-Ginorieramic Society, and a vast number of antique plaster mouldscalled piece-moulds, because they are made up of many pieces),oused in the factory warehouse, called the “Voltone” (Fig. 1). Theriginal nucleus of this collection was created in about 1744 [3].ven the plaster moulds, which were often acquired with the cor-esponding models, are classified according to whether they werereated in a sculptor’s workshop or by a modeler in the factory.

Up to now, various difficulties have hindered a systematic clas-ification of the entire Doccia collection and particularly that of theould collection, and a detailed description of the relationships

etween the various samples that make up the collection. Amonghese difficulties are the following:

the estimated number of moulds is about 7 thousand, but theexact number is unknown;the derivation model is often missing because lost, damaged ornever available because the corresponding moulds were modeledoutside the factory;due to the complexity of the internal surfaces of piece-moulds,the subject represented inside is often difficult, if not impossible,to identify;different numbering was attributed to both derivation modelsand corresponding groups of moulds in historical catalogues. Therelated numbers have been changed over time due to the growthof the collection and to the use of some pieces in the Manufac-tory’s production.

Two separate attempts to create documentation have beenade. A porcelain casting process using some of the antique mouldsas carried out between 1960 and 1968 [4]: this process, called

he Campana Campaign after the manufactory director, produced250 porcelain artifacts. A second project to document the Richard-inori historical collection started in 2007, when 15,000 objectsere inventoried through both photographic and digital surveys

4]. A related casting campaign, called Luchi Campaign, after Pierouchi, the person in charge of artistic casting in the factory, involved000 plaster piece-moulds, but thousands of them still have to belassified.

3D laser scanning of the mould’s internal surfaces and the sub-

equent virtual reconstruction of the reproducible subject can besed as an alternative to porcelain casting for rediscovering thenknown subject hidden inside of the mould. The virtual modelhus generated can also replace the original template in all respects

al Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489

[5,6]. When the derivation model is missing, it makes it possible toproduce copies of the corresponding group of moulds and hencepreserve the valuable moulds in the collection. Moreover, the 3Dimage that is obtained allows us to recover the missing link betweenthe set of moulds and the original model. The application of thistechnique to a group of moulds belonging to the Richard-Ginoricollection is illustrated in detail in references [5,6].

Virtual models, original templates in wax, plaster and terracotta,their corresponding sets of moulds and porcelain statuettes can beclassified and mined from an ad hoc developed system. This system,called the DocciaDigitalArchive (DDA), includes a customized DB anda set of functionalities designed to insert, manage and extract infor-mation/data and archived images. It solves some of the problemslisted above, as is illustrated by means of some samples selectedfrom the Doccia collection that are briefly described in the nextsection.

3. Material and relationships

A wide variety of figurative sculptures, ornaments of variouskinds, bas-reliefs and other artistic subjects, such as lithophanes,cameos, etc., reproducible by casting or pressing porcelain intomoulds, have been part of the Doccia Manufactory production his-tory for almost three centuries. The subjects represented in thesculptures range from single figures to two figures and groups,often inspired by classical epics or pastoral scenes to more orless complex representations of mythological or religious episodes.The types of relationships that have to be identified and used forclassification, in addition to those among a set of moulds, its deriva-tion model and porcelain translations, relate to different variantsof the same subject produced by the Manufactory. The porcelainversion may differ from the original model because changes havebeen made in the pose of the figures or the decorations due to anerror in assembly or production difficulties. In other cases, vari-ations caused by changes in taste over time may be present insubjects that were successful in the past and were therefore inproduction for a long time. It is interesting to search for the samesubject created by the artist in models and/or sets of moulds thatwere made elsewhere and subsequently acquired by the Manu-factory, in order to highlight possible differences and extend thedocumentation about the origin of the sample and its deriva-tion.

There was also another aspect of the production process thatcomplicates the classification of the moulds: sometimes an acces-sory figure or a part of a subject (e.g. a putto belonging to acomposition, the base or handles of a vase) was re-used in othersubjects. This occurrence makes it difficult to identify the entire setof the original moulds, since one or more of them may have joinedanother group.

Some information and links were established on the basisof insights obtained from studies of archival documentation,consisting in old production catalogs [2], the inventory of theRichard-Ginori Museum of the Doccia Manufactory (hereafterreferred to as the Doccia Museum) [7,8] and the private Ginoriarchives [9]. Documentary research on each subject began with thestudy of inscriptions engraved on the moulds, usually on the largestof the group, and catalog numbers that had been placed on them invarious production periods.

Some definitions utilized in the DDA system are shown in Table 1in order to facilitate comprehension of the charts presented later.

Various types of subjects are considered in this paper as rep-

resentative of a large part of the collection. The study that wasconducted on these subjects and on the available documentationmade it possible to identify and specify the relationships mentionedabove.

M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of Cultur

Table 1Definitions.

Name Definition

Mould or piece-mould Impression in plaster, made up of severalpieces, in which wax, clay or porcelain is castedor beaten to make statues or other relief works

Pieces (of a mould) Parts of the breakdown of a mould

Group of moulds (ormodel moulds)

Set of moulds, shaped on the model, necessaryto make replicas of the model

Model or Physical Model Prototype for creating the moulds, which canusually be made of terracotta and plaster.Sometimes models were not made for directlycreating moulds, but they were used asexamples for assembly of porcelain products orto show to customers (i.e. models in plaster orwax)

Virtual model (CompleteDigital Model)

Virtual three-dimensional representation,obtained from the reconstruction of thethree-dimensional surfaces of the mouldsconstituting a model, through scanning

Porcelain translation Porcelain sample obtained by casting theporcelain into piece-moulds

Cast Sample obtained by casting a material intopiece-moulds. Specifically, wax casts are a truecopy of the original model, because wax is notsubject to shrinkage (see definition of model)

Transition Passage of a mould from one mould set toanother. Particularly during the nineteenthcentury, the sculptors or molders of theManufactory used some pieces from a set ofmoulds, already present in the factory, andcollected them with other pieces of mouldsthat they had created (hybrid groups ofmoulds)

Archetype The original marble or bronze statue, fromwhich the model was copied; the archetypeand model can have different sizes

Invention Original idea of an artist. It may not coincidewith the above-defined archetype. An exampleof an invention is the Ratto delle Sabine (TheRape of Sabine Women), the marble sculptureby Giambologna (invention), whose greatsuccess determined various replicas one of

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which is an 18th century bronze statuette inthe Corsini Palace in Rome (archetype)

Among the moulds acquired by the main sculptors in the latearoque Florentine tradition are those belonging to the Pietà group,y Massimiliano Soldani Benzi, which was recently rediscovered inhe “Voltone” (2010). Different porcelain translations from these

oulds were obtained, including one from the Campana Campaignnd another by Piero Luchi.

Among the moulds commissioned by Ginori were those maderom antique marble statues. Moulds with this origin include thosebtained from the Venus de’ Medici at the Uffizi Gallery in Florenceince 1677. Small size reproductions of the Venus moulds and theirorresponding plaster model were created in the eighteenth cen-ury.

We have also considered a group of moulds entitled “Gigante.1” (in the following referred to as Giant N.1), according to the

nscription on the largest mould of the set. The artistic features andistorical information relating to the subject are the result of theD laser scanning of the moulds, which made it possible to obtain

virtual model of the subject [6]. The survey enabled us to find

hree out of four terracotta models, all entitled “Gigante” (Giant),y an unknown artist and distinguished by progressive numbers,robably not made at the Manufactory and dating back to before800 [6]. They are mentioned in a production catalog datable in the

al Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489 481

first quarter of the twentieth century [7]. Finding the whole seriesamong the Campana Campaign products allowed us to deduce thatthree additional sets of moulds, one for each catalogued model,could still be found in the “Voltone”.

Table 2 summarizes the objects that were studied classifiedaccording to the features shown.

4. Classification methodology

When we consider the documentary campaigns carried out onthe moulds in the past, we can summarize their characteristics asfollows:

• the Campana Campaign (1960–1968) aimed at creating a set ofsamples and produced numerous unfinished artifacts, obtainedby casting porcelain into undamaged sets of moulds. The only sur-viving documentary references consist of numbers engraved onthe bases of these artifacts, which probably refer to the numberswritten on the corresponding sets of moulds;

• the Luchi Campaign (2009–2010) produced 187 porcelain artifactsof significant artistic value. In the same period 15,000 objectswere inventoried through both photographic and digital surveys[10]. A digital inventory was thus created on Excel files where, inaddition to a brief description of each object, a reference numberto the corresponding photograph is inserted.

Previous campaigns used the traditional method of casting torediscover the subjects hidden inside the moulds. They made itpossible to catalogue several sets of moulds but they did not takeinto account a proper classification. Actually, an attempt to digitizethe information started in 2007 [4], but it was not suitable for aclassification of the whole collection. Moreover, an appropriate toolfor a systematic and efficient storage, which included dynamic datamanagement, was not considered.

This paper presents a workflow methodology for mould classifi-cation that uses an innovative technique, composed of acquisitionthrough 3D scanning and virtual reconstruction [11]. Scanningand virtual reconstruction are successfully used in other contexts[12,13], but here they show distinctive features because the surfacerelief is carried out in negative (Section 4.1.1).

The DDA system supports the methodology for storage, manage-ment and extraction of information, images and relations to itemsin the collection. It was suitably designed and developed for thecontext of the Museum.

This methodology makes use of results from earlier, traditionalcampaigns and makes it possible to integrate their data with miss-ing information.

4.1. Methods: workflows

The methodology was developed according to two differentflows, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The starting point in the first work-flow (Fig. 2A) is the group of porcelain translations obtained frommoulds used in documentary campaigns: porcelain products fromthe Luchi Campaign and the Campana Campaign. The figure showsthe classification step sequence: data, images and relationshipscharacterizing Luchi’s products can immediately be inserted intothe DDA. This classification route was followed for Soldani Benzi’sPietà and the small Venus de’ Medici. Each porcelain statuetteobtained from the Campana Campaign is already linked to the cor-responding set of moulds because the number of the set is inscribed

on it; this number makes it possible to search for the correspondingmould set in the “Voltone”.

The following steps include research on historic inventories inorder to find their physical model if it is at the Museum; otherwise,

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Table 2Artistic subjects.

Artistic subject Type Moulds Model Translations coeval with moulds Translations by Campana or Luchi Archetype

Pietà by MassimilianoSoldani Benzi

Composition 54 Not available Pietà at National Stockholm Museum 1 from Campana Campaign1 from Luchi Campaign

Bronze Pietà in SeattlePietà of Corsini Collection in FlorencePietà at Los Angeles County MuseumWax cast at Doccia MuseumWax cast at Pitti Palace

Venus de’ Medici(full size)

Single figure Not yet found Plaster 1 porcelain with variants than thearchetype at Doccia Museum

Marble Venus (I d.C.) atUffizi Gallery

Venus de’ Medici(small size)

Single figure 6 Plaster 1 well-known porcelain at DocciaMuseum

1 from Luchi Campaign Marble Venus (I d.C.) atUffizi Gallery

1 from Campana Campaign

Giant No1 Series 4 Terracotta 1 from Campana Campaign –

Giant No2 4 not yet found Terracotta 1 from Campana Campaign –

Giant No3 5 not yet found Terracotta 1 from Campana Campaign –

Giant No4 3 not yet found Not available 1 from Campana Campaign –

M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of Cultural Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489 483

no

yes

no

yes

Model search on historical

inventories

Research of the model in the

Museum collecti on

yes

no

Data collecti on

Virtual model produ cti on

QR code and RFID on moulds

Model research based on other

info rmati on (this can vary from one model to another)

Historic-arti sti c survey

Entry of data & rel ati onships in

the DB

Are moulds accessible? Search

reschedu le

Campan a Campa ign

Luchi Campa ign

A

yes

no

no

yes

Is it poss ible to determi ne a

model/ archetype?

Raw scanning of one /some

moulds

Is the virtual model

nee ded?

Refined scann ing of

moulds

QR code and RFID on moulds

Data collecti on

Historical-arti sti c survey

Entry of data & rel ati onships in

the DB .

B

Group of moulds not used in Luchi Campa ign or

Campan a Ca mpaign

Does an item exist?

Can you find the model?

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Fig. 2. Flowcharts of the first (A) and

D scanning of moulds and subsequent processing can produce airtual model (as illustrated in Section 4.1.1). This type of classifi-ation was applied to the moulds called Giant and identified withhe numbers 2, 3 and 4.

Fig. 2B illustrates the second workflow, which was applied to theet of moulds entitled Giant N.1 located at the Doccia Museum. Inhis case no information was available about the set: 3D scanning,irtual recovery and related DDA system insertions were carriedut on the moulds. The hidden subject inside was revealed in thisay and a survey was conducted in the archives for gathering infor-ation about it and its origin.In the flow diagrams, different colors indicate actions that can

e carried out at different times: blue boxes for previous tasks and

rownish boxes for steps that may be rescheduled. The work plan

s thus flexible and efficient.A unique coding of the entire collection was conceived, like the

ne illustrated in Section 4.2. In the last step of both processes, a

econd (B) classification approaches.

code is assigned to each mould and attached using tools of mod-ern automatic identification techniques, such as QR code [14] andRadio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) type identifiers [15].

A QR code is a two dimensional picture that can encode infor-mation like numbers, letters, characters. A label with the image of aQR code, containing the identifier of the mould and other possibleinformation can be applied to it in a non-invasive way (for exampleby fixing the label to the binder twine). A “Smartphone”, equippedwith free applications for reading the QR code, would make it possi-ble to recognize the different moulds of the group and consequentlydistinguish their various parts without needing to visually exploretheir interiors.

To supplement what we have suggested above, the identifier of

a set of piece-moulds might coincide with that of a passive RFID.This is an automatic identification method, relying on storing andremotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transpon-ders. A passive tag is a very low cost device, which utilizes radio

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84 M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of

requency waves and is applicable to the largest mould of a setor the purpose of location and identification. It would respond tohe activation of a reader, a few meters away, returning the ID.his identification system might facilitate the detection of a set ofoulds inside the “Voltone”.

.1.1. Virtual Model Production3D scanning technology has made the digitization of physi-

al objects in collections possible and at this time, some projectsre in progress in this context, for example The Digital Sculptureroject [16] of Virginia University, The 3D Scanning Project [17] ofhe Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and the projectf the Smithsonian Institution [18].

These projects exploit the potential of this technology in ordero systematically obtain digital models which can be studied and

ade available on the web to all those who may be interested. Theroject which is described in this article, on the other hand, aimst cataloging the collection of moulds by utilizing, when necessary,

3D scan of the internal surfaces, the creation of a virtual modelrom the obtained negative shape and the consequent recognitionf the archetype.

In this section, we will briefly describe the process for producinghe virtual model. Mould scanning was performed on a group callediant N.1 by means of a detection system with active sensors thatse the triangulation principle. The equipment made it possibleo create colorized digital models (with diffused light color tex-ure) capable of describing, point by point, all formal features of thebject, including details (muscles, decorations and small reliefs),hich are crucial to the final reconstruction of the model in full

elief. The scanning, performed on each mould, involved the inter-al and the contact surfaces between the individual pieces thatake up the mould, in order to get enough information to prop-

rly align the pieces. In some cases the scanning of the mould’suter parts was necessary in order to improve the automatic con-ergence of the range maps in the registration phase. Moreover, inrder to promote alignment, some scans aimed at mutually posi-ioning the different pieces were needed (Fig. 3, from A to F). Theseraming scans have ensured correct alignment using ICP automaticlgorithms. The detailed survey of the contact surfaces betweenhe pieces made it possible to obtain a perfect convergence of the

ould parts (Fig. 3, from G to I). Recording operations producedhe complete digital model of the mould’s internal and contact sur-aces. Once the excess surfaces were eliminated, the digital modeln the round of the mould positive was obtained, however the feedhroats were still present. The final removal of these latter con-luded the optimization of the model (Fig. 3, from L to N) and madet possible to move on to the next phase of the reconstruction of thehape. This digital reconstruction was performed directly in 3D bymporting all digital models derived from the processing scans ofll moulds. In this phase, the contact surfaces (between arms andorso, legs and torso and between head and torso) and the formaleatures and details of each component piece, made it possible toropose a final reconstruction hypothesis. Comparison to the orig-

nal derivation model, a terracotta statuette, confirmed that theirtual reconstruction guarantees an optimum recovery.

.2. Tools: DDA system

The DDA system is made up of two different components: aersistence layer and a presentation layer. The persistence layeronsists of a relational DB. The other layer is arranged as a PHP-

ased web application and its main functions are DB interactionnd data presentation.

A diagram of the DB structure is illustrated in Fig. 4, in anxtended Entity-Relationship Model [19], created using the MySQL

al Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489

Workbench ORACLE software (version 5.2.42 CE). The DB is orga-nized into 13 linked tables according to the type of content data.

The basic table is the “model” table, which refers to the phys-ical model, if it is present at the Doccia Museum, and/or to thevirtual one, if the 3D acquisition methodology was applied. Theonly required field in the table is the record ID, which activates thedatabase’s referential integrity. Mould classification is thus possibleeven if no derivation model is available.

In the “model” table, information relating to the product typeis included; a complete description of this information is givenin Table 3. A model record can be linked to as many records inthe “mould” table as the component moulds in the correspond-ing group if they are considered. The fields included in the “mould”table are listed and described in Table 4. There is one for inscriptionson moulds among the planned fields.

If a mould transition occurred from one model to another, the“transition” table can track the relation between the original groupof moulds and the hybrid one.

The “catalogue” table was designed to manage different his-torical inventory numbers that refer to the set of moulds or themodel.

The “fileraw” and “ThreeD” tables can respectively gather filesobtained from the 3D laser scanning of the different mould sets andthe reconstruction data of the whole virtual model or part of it.

If one or more porcelain translations of a certain model areknown, they are classified as records in the “porcelain” table(Table 5).

If a series of models is considered, the different statuettes areclassified as different records of the “model” table but relatedto each other by the same reference in the “series” table, whichcontains information about the entire set of samples. Even whenporcelain translations belong to the same series, different records ofthe “porcelain” table are related to each other by means of the samereference, besides those of corresponding models in the “series”table.

Casts created in materials different from porcelain are recordedin the “cast” table with the corresponding model reference.

In the “images” table, the following types of pictures arestorable:

• scanned raw images;• 2D and 3D images of the virtual model;• photographs of: moulds, sets of moulds, models, porcelain trans-

lations, casts, series, archetypes, inventions.

Data referring to the author are listed in the “author” table ifhe/she is known, but an assumed historical period is specified inany case, even if the author is unknown. If the mould group wasproduced for a bronze statue/composition or if it was obtained froma marble sculpture, and if the archetype is known, the informationcan be documented in the “archetype” table.

The information about the presumed source of inspiration forthe model can be inserted in the “invention” table, which thenexplains if subjects are derived from classical sculpture or painting.

In the “model”, “mould”, “porcelain” and “series” tables, thereis an “xxx code” field, where an identifier is storable. The designedassignment policy is structured as follows:

• models: modNNNN;• moulds: modNNNNmouNN;• series of models: sermodNNN;

• series of porcelain: serporNNN;• porcelain works: porNNNNN;

where N is an integer from 0 to 9.

M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of Cultural Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489 485

Fig. 3. The first sequence of images shows the acquisition procedure adopted to facilitate the alignment of the individual pieces belonging to the mould of the legs. A–C:classification scans aimed at identifying the position of the pieces. D, E: processing the model composed of the different pieces aligned with each other. F: shape positiveobtained through the composition of the 4 pieces. The next sequence of images shows the alignment and registration of the set G with the last piece H, by matching thecontact surfaces. Picture I highlights the magnitude of standard deviation between the two parts. The last sequence shows data aimed at obtaining the model in the round ofthe Giant’s legs. L, M: the excess surfaces are removed from the model (contact surfaces and feed-throat). N: digital model of the legs is ready for the next composition phase.

486 M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of Cultural Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489

Fig. 4. DB structure for classifying the historic collection of the Doccia Manufactory which illustrates relationships (foreign keys) among 13 tables and records of “model”table.

Fig. 5. Model card, mould card and virtual model picture of the Giant N. 1.

Photographs courtesy of Associazione Amici di Doccia.

M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of Cultural Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489 487

Table 3DB table “model”.

Table record Type Significance

mod id int(11) Identificative key of the modelmod figure type set(‘scultura figura-

tiva’,‘suppellettile’,‘bassorilievo’,‘litofania’)Model typology

mod title varchar(100) Model titlemod year varchar(45) Model datingmod period set(‘1700–1750’,‘1750–1800’,‘1800–1850’,

‘1850–1900’,‘1900–1950’)Time period (es. fifty years)

mod author ref int(11) Identificative key of model author (= aut id)mod author knowledge bit(1) It indicates if the author’s attribution is certainmod author workshop set(‘autore’,‘bottega’) It indicates if the attribution is to the author or his workshopmod dimensions varchar(200) Model dimensionsmod numb of moulds int(11) Number of moulds of the group for this modelmod notes varchar(200) Short annotations about the modelmod material set(‘cera’,‘terracotta’,‘gesso’,‘maiolica’) Model materialmod availability set(‘sì’,‘no’) Existence of the model in Doccia Museummod execution bit(1) It indicates if the model was executed within the Manufactory or if

it was acquiredmod origin varchar(100) It specifies the origin of the model if it was acquiredmod mould author varchar(200) Mouldermod series ref int(11) Identificative key of model series (= ser id), if mod type = ’series’mod code varchar(8) Identificative code of model as modNNNN, where N is an integer

from 0 to 9mod composition ref int(11) Identificative key of the model (= mod id), if composition

(mod type = ’ composition’)mod type set(‘single’,‘series’,‘composition’) Typology of the subject modelmod manufacture set(‘calcato’,‘modellato’) It indicates the method used for mould realizationmod housing varchar(200) Model locationmod inventory museum int(11) Inventory number of model at Doccia Museummod model ref int(11) Identificative key of the model (= mod id) from which this model

derivesmod archetype ref int(11) Identificative key of the model’s archetype (= arc id)

Table 4DB table “mould”.

Table record Type Significance

mou id int(11) Identificative key of the mouldmou type varchar(200) content of the mould (es. Braccia, gambe, piede, testa, base, manico, etc.)mou pieces int(11) number of pieces of the mould (tasselli)mou inscriptions varchar(200) list of inscriptions on the mouldmou model ref int(11) Identificative key of the corrisponding model to which the mould belongsmou code varchar(16) Identificative code of the mould as modNNNNmouNN, where N is an

integer from 0 to 9mou transition ref int(11) Identificative key of a transition of the mould (= tra id)mou year varchar(45) Realization date of the mould. One mould can have a different date from

the others belonging to the same groupmou notes varchar(200) Short annotations about mouldmou condition varchar(200) Short annotations about mould conditionmou inventory museum int(11) Inventory number of mould at Doccia Museummou collocation varchar(200) Indication of the housing site

Table 5DB table “porcelain”.

Table record Type Significance

por id int(11) Identificative key of a porcelainpor year varchar(45) Date or period of porcelain castingpor author varchar(45) Executor name of porcelain castingpor title varchar(100) Title of the porcelain samplepor dimensions varchar(45) Porcelain dimensionspor notes varchar(200) Short annotations about porcelain samplepor material set(‘biscuit’,‘invetriata’) Type of porcelain realizationpor type set(‘single’,‘series’,‘composition’) Typology of the porcelain subject: single piece, piece of a

series, composition made up of two or more parts/shapespor availability set(‘sì’,‘no’) Porcelain availability at Doccia Museumpor housing varchar(200) Porcelain locationpor inv int(11) Inventory number of porcelain at Doccia Museumpor code varchar(8) Identificative code of model as modNNNN, where N is an

integer from 0 to 9por model ref int(11) Identificative key of the corrisponding model (= mod id)por series ref int(11) Identificative key of the corrisponding series (= ser id)por campana bit(1) It indicates if the sample is a Campana biscuits

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88 M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of

This encoding is a suggestion for a unique cataloging of theollection and thus using the modern automatic identification tech-ology described above, which is particularly useful when there areany samples located in different places, as in this case.

. Data extraction

A DB prototype was set up in MySQL 5.2 environment wherehe data and images were included. Information and relationshipsetween different samples can be accessed from documentationards, which are the result of queries to the DB. The types of cardsrovided are:

a model card, which gathers information and data available abouta model (physical and/or virtual) and its moulds and porcelainstatuettes when they exist;a mould card, which gathers information, images and data aboutscanned moulds in a set;a series card, which summarizes the available images of samplesfrom a series.

Details and relationships describing an artistic subject are

eported on its model card, which is divided into three sections,s shown in the upper part of Fig. 5: the “model” section is in theenter, the “porcelain” section on right and the “moulds” sectionn the left.

Fig. 6. Series card of the Giant models in terracotta (top) and series card of the Giant u

hotographs courtesy of the Associazione Amici di Doccia.

al Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489

The model photograph, if available, is shown in the upper part ofthe model section. By clicking, it is possible to view a more detailedanalysis of the object for the purpose of seeing the flaws, the stateof conservation or to consider the restoration work to be carriedout. The virtual model image is shown when the physical modelphotograph is not available. In any case, a link for visualizing thevirtual model can be selected. The integrated interface allows theuser to visualize 3D images of the subject, which can be rotated.Information such as author, size, etc., is provided under the pic-ture.

In the “moulds” section, data about the group of moulds arelisted and a photograph of the largest mould or of the mould setis shown. Once 3D laser scanning has been conducted on the set,a detailed description of the different moulds will be accessible byselecting a link to the mould card (bottom left corner of Fig. 5).

In the “porcelain” section, the first available picture among pos-sible different photos of porcelain artifacts is shown at the topof the area. Previews of the other porcelain translations are dis-played below. Any one of them can be selected and substituted forthe larger photo and some information about the correspondingporcelain work is under this image.

A link named “Altre traduzioni” (other translations) may appearat the bottom of this section if casts made with materials other than

porcelain are known.

If the artistic subject being considered is part of a series, as in thecase of Giant N.1, an indication about the series to which it belongsand a link to the series card appear.

nglazed porcelain statuettes, called biscuits, from Campana Campaign (bottom).

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M. Gherardelli et al. / Journal of

The upper part of Fig. 6 shows the series card of the Giants inerracotta. It includes only three of the original four models becausehe Giant N.4 sample was never found. In the porcelain section ofhe model card a link gives access to the series card of the porcelaintatuettes (lower part of Fig. 6).

. Conclusions

We have presented a classification procedure for the numerousiece-moulds belonging to the valuable collection of the Docciaanufactory. This methodology applies information and 3D tech-

ologies to the context of documentation of the Doccia Collection,ut it can be replicated in other contexts.

For example, this methodology and the DDA system could bepplied in similar situations that do not have analogous inventoryystems, like the Meissen factory in Dresden [20] and the Sèvresactory in Paris [21], both of which were founded in the 18th cen-ury, and in archives that contain records of the activities of othereramic factories like the Archivio Ceramico Sestese.

This cataloging method might be of interest also for activitiesot strictly related to the manufacture of ceramics, as in the casef the sculptures kept in the Studio Galleria Romanelli which wasounded in Florence about 200 years ago and began with the worksf Lorenzo Bartolini [22].

The DDA system allows users to benefit from the huge amountf information obtained from different sources by applying theethodology. This system is designed for access by the personnel

f the Doccia Museum and of the Manufactory, to get a physi-al/virtual and art historical description of the moulds and artifactselated to them.

Scholars of ceramics and sculpture from the seventeenth tohe nineteenth century will be greatly interested to have accesso this information. Furthermore, the restorers of Ginori prod-cts, and of sculptures and bronzes will be among the majorsers of the DDA content. This system could also become a use-ul tool for the present GRG factory (ex-Richard-Ginori factory)23], which is eager to produce artifacts that are recovered fromhapes in the historical archives. Downloaded art historical infor-ation could also be used for a presentation to accompany the

rtifacts.The technique of 3D scanning and subsequent virtual recon-

truction has the following advantages compared to the porcelainasting:

it is less expensive and has faster implementation, in regime;less space is occupied by the products of the classification;it fosters the preservation of moulds.

Virtual models would help the factory modelers to produce newoulds with the same subject as the antique ones. Consequently,

he historical moulds would not be directly involved in a production

rocess which could compromise their state of conservation.

Many potential developments may come as a result of thepplication of the methodology described here which is supportedy the use of the DDA system, for example, the information used

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al Heritage 15 (2014) 479–489 489

to classify the models of the collection may also be structured in aspecific XML file suitable for ontology research.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their thanks to Dr. Oliva Rucel-lai, curator of the Doccia Museum, and to the “Amici di Doccia”Association.

References

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