A Preliminary Study on the Digital Restoration of Ceramics A Case Study of a Petal-Shaped Bowl from the Hutian Kiln

Abstract

Ceramics are among the most common categories of artifacts unearthed through archaeological excavation and preserved in museum collections, and issues such as breakage and loss are widespread. Traditional ceramic restoration relies primarily on manual infilling and matching, which places considerable demands on the restorer’s experience and also presents certain limitations in morphological reconstruction, process documentation, restoration efficiency, and non-destructive reversibility. With the development of technologies such as 3D scanning, digital modeling, and 3D printing, digital methods have opened up new technical pathways for the restoration of damaged ceramics. Taking a fragmented petal-shaped bowl from the Hutian kiln as a case study, this paper explores the basic workflow of digital ceramic restoration. First, a high-precision 3D scanner is used to capture the surface features and fracture interfaces of the object, thereby establishing a three-dimensional model of the surviving fragments. Next, based on the morphological characteristics of the extant vessel and the formal patterns of petal-shaped bowls, the missing sections are digitally reconstructed using modeling software. On this basis, the required replacement components are extracted through Boolean operations and physically fabricated by means of 3D printing, ultimately completing the restoration practice. The study shows that digital restoration methods offer clear advantages in the morphological reconstruction of damaged ceramics, the precision control of replacement components, and the preservation of restoration records, and can provide a practical technical approach for the conservation and restoration of ceramic cultural relics.

Keywords: Ceramic Restoration; 3D Scanning; Digital Modeling; 3D Printing