From top left: “Recumbent Lion,” “Bust of Nefertiti,” head of Michaelangelo’s “David,” and “Fourth Gate of Vaubam Fortress“

Scan the World might be one of the only institutions where visitors are encouraged to handle the most-valued sculptures and artefacts from art history. The open-source museum hosts an impressive archive of 18,000 digital scans—the eclectic collection spans artworks like the “Bust of Nefertiti,” the “Fourth Gate of Vaubam Fortress,” and Michaelangelo’s “David” in addition to other items like chimpanzee skulls—that are available for download and 3D printing in a matter of hours.

Searchable by collection, artist, and location, Scan the World recently teamed up with Google Arts and Culture, which partners with more than 2,000 institutions, to add thousands of additional pieces to the platform. Each page shares information about an artifact’s history and location, in addition to technical details like dimensions, complexity, and time to print—scroll down on to view images of finished pieces uploaded by the community, too.[…]

More: Download and 3D-Print 18,000 Artifacts from Art History through Scan the World