3D Printing Wine Cork to Enjoy World Wide Ancient Art?

You saw the title? Does it make sense? Well, I'm not sure if it does for me either but anyhow, here is how I came to make this project:

I enjoy seeing ancient art pieces. In particular statuettes. The close physical presence of those objects make the observer feel close to ancient cultures by how tangible they are. Those small, often fragile objects perdure for centuries or millennium and are a direct link to the people who made it. But together with this proximity, there is often a sense of wonder, a feeling of strangeness brought by the esthetic belonging to a culture completely different from our own.

This feeling is what pushes collectors to spend fortunes on antiques, but not everyone can afford it, and I'm not part of those lucky few. However we live interesting times and the open source mindset, together with photogrammetry and 3D printing can relieve this longing, even at on budget.

Photogrammetry is a technique to reconstruct 3D objects from a series of photographs. Similar to 3D scanners, it “only” requires a good camera and a computer equipped with GPU. The quality of the 3D model output depends a lot on the object’s rugosity and the light conditions, but since it does not cause any damage to the subject, it is often used to make numerical copies of ancient art pieces. Furthermore, since historians, museum conservators and other science geeks who use this method are often infected with the utopian ideas of the open source ideology, they regularly place the 3D models online for everybody to access and enjoy.

But virtual 3D model on a computer screen does not feel quite as fulfilling as interacting with real objects. As a 3D printing enthusiast, I could have printed the models as is, and interact to my heart content. But it did not quite feel right and I wanted to make a practical object with those art pieces to keep rediscovering them in daily life. I owe to my wife, Michelle, the idea to turn it into a cork for wine bottles. I will let you judge how good of an idea that is, but I liked it and if you read down to here you probably think it has some merits too.

In the following parts you can discover 12 ancient original art pieces from various cultures and locations around the world. For each, I provided a little historical context and resources to continue your readings. At the end of this "instructable", you will find more technical information on how to make those corks.

To make those bottle corks, you will need a 3D printer with any type of rigid filament and TPU (preferably TPU 95A). As the figurines are quite small, fairly recent printers capable to reliably print with layer heights bellow 0.15mm are preferred. The 3D files are available here and here.

Standing on the quarry site of Rano Raraku in Rapa Nui (Easter island, Chile), this eroded Moai was never transported to the island's shore like most finished Moais. Believed to represent former tribal chiefs, Moais were mainly carved between the 12th and 17th century until an increase of tribal conflicts and the cult of the "birdman" gradually replaced the ancestor's cult.

Moai's are also commonly associated with the idea of a catastrophic collapse due to human overexploitation of natural resources (here the trees), but recent evidences seem to mitigate, if not totally invalidate this narrative.

The 3D reconstitution of this Moai is available here.

Made of greenstone with coral inlay, this Aztec statue was first identified as Xolotl, god of fire and lightning. However more recent evaluations estimate it actually represent Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, one of the incarnations of Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoalt (literally "Feathered Serpent") was one of the main Aztec gods associated with the wind and priesthood among other things. Under the shape of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (literally "lord of the star of the dawn") he was celebrated as the inventor of books and the calendar, as well as for giving maize to humans.

The Aztec culture became preeminent in central Mexico in the 12th century AD and continued to prosper until the Spanish conquest in 1519. The itinerary of this art piece is unknown until is was rediscovered in the Weingarten monastery in Germany.

This sculpture belongs to the Württemberg State Museum in Stuttgart. The 3D reconstitution is available here.

This terracotta is either a brasero or an incense burner representing Tláloc, the god of the rain. Tlaloc is one of the oldest gods in Mesoamerica with representations dating back from the 1st century BC and was celebrated among the culture of Teotihuacan, the Aztecs and the Maya. This specific artifact belongs to the Aztec and is exposed in the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico. The 3D reconstitution is available here.

This head is an architectural feature of a maya temple on the archeological site of Copan in modern day Honduras. It may represent the bust of a priest of Chaac, the Mayan god of rain.

Settled as early as 1200 BC, the site of Copan developed gradually until is was refunded in 426 AD by the maya leader Yax Kuk Mo coming from the area of Tikal. Under his dynasty, the city of Copan prospered until the 8th century AD with a total population peaking at around 20 000 persons. The site was then gradually abandoned in the 10th century AD and "rediscovered" in 1570 by Diego García de Palacio during the Spanish conquest of the area.

The head is currently exposed in the Copan sculpture museum and the 3D reconstitution is available here.

This statue is a bronze representation of an ancestral figure of the Lobi people. As Lobi are well known for their wood carving skills, their statues often present a very slender profile compatible with the shape of a tree trunk. Originated from modern Ghana, the Lobi people started to migrate westward in 1770 and is currently present in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. Animists and "acephalous" (organized without political central authority), this population is also renown for their practice of making marriage poles.

This statue belongs to the Arthur B. Steinman Collection, a 3D scan is available here.

This amulet from Egypt represent Isis, goddess of maternity and magic, nursing her son the falcon headed god of the sky Horus. Made of faience, it is dated to the Ptolemaic era (305 to 30 BC). Central to the Egyptian pantheon, the cult of Isis later extended to the Greco-Roman world and was practiced well into the imperial Rome.

This amulet is part of the North Carolina Museum of Art collection and the 3D scan is available here.

This second faience amulet from Egypt's Ptolemaic era (305 to 30 BC) represents the goddess Bastet. Initially represented as a ferocious lioness, Bastet evolved, merged with the goddes Sekhmet and became worshipped as a cat headed goddess by 1000 BC. Associated to fertility, possibly because of the strong reproduction abilities of domestic cats, Bastet amulets were also associated to the protection against illnesses and evil spirits.

This amulet is part of the Havard museum of the Ancient Near East collection and the 3D scan is available here.

Discovered in the town of Luzira in modern day Uganda, this Terracotta figure is possibly the earliest representation of human head discovered in sub-saharan Africa. While a precise date could not be definitely established for the fabrication of the head, evidences point to the end of the first millennium AD.

This head is supposed to be part of a temple's furniture devoted to lake or nature spirits. The ethnical group most likely associated with this art piece is the Buganda Otter clan.

The head is currently exposed in the British Museum and the 3D reconstitution is available here. For printable files refer to the end of this instructable.

Originating from the historic Wat Na Phra Meru temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand, this 12th-century sandstone statue—carved in the Khmer style—depicts the Buddha meditating under the protective canopy of a seven-headed Nāga. In several South and Southeast Asian traditions, Nāgas are semi-divine beings, often depicted as half-human, half-serpent, inhabiting the netherworld (Pātāla).

In Buddhist iconography, the image of the Nāga Buddha symbolizes enlightenment, spiritual protection, and the harmony between humanity and nature.

From between the 7^th-13^th century CE, most of the Nāga-enthroned Buddhas found in Thailand were in the northeastern part of the country, where the Khmers had an increasing presence.

This sculpture is exposed at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum in Ayutthaya. The 3D reconstitution of this statue is available here.

This is a representative example of a Sanxingdui head. Sanxingdui refers to a major Bronze Age culture located in present-day Guanghan, Sichuan, China. Archaeological excavations at the site have uncovered artifacts dated by radiocarbon between the 12^TH-11^th centuries BCE. These findings point to the existence of a distinct and advanced civilization in this region, long before it was annexed by the state of Qin in 316 BC.

While Sanxingdui heads share a common overall appearance, they vary in details such as hairstyle and head shape. The hair of this head is tied back, adorned with an accessory. Some scholars have speculated that these differences may indicate variations in race or identity. The heads are hollow inside, suggesting they may have once been attached to bodies made from perishable materials like mud or wood.

Most of Sanxingdui artifacts are now displayed in the Sanxingdui Museum located near the city of Guanghan. The 3D reconstitution of this statue is available here.

The Tang Dynasty is often seen as a golden age for women, reflected in its remarkable female tomb figurines—key examples of Tang sculpture. Rooted in the belief in an afterlife, these earthenware figures were buried alongside the dead, accompanied by animals, tools, and other symbolic items for use in the next world.

The style of these figurines evolved over time: early versions featured slender bodies and delicate faces; during the dynasty’s peak, fuller, more voluptuous forms reflected ideals of beauty; later figures appeared slightly bloated. Their varied hairstyles, elegant garments—often with exposed necklines and arms—and rich colors vividly capture Tang society, offering valuable insight into its culture, fashion, and ideals.

The 3D scan of this figurine is available here.

Discovered in the town of Chino in Japan, the Jōmon Venus is atributed to the Jōmon culture during its middle period (3,520–2,470BC). This small statue representing a pregnant woman is characterized as a dogū, a type of small humanoid or animal figurine possibly used as votive offering in rituals.

The Jōmon population, predominantly sedentary hunter gatherers, where later replaced by Yayoi people (around 500 to 300 BC) immigrating from the continent and bringing an agricultural lifestyle together with the precursor of modern Japanese language.

The head is currently exposed in the Chino Museum and the 3D reconstitution is available here. For printable files refer to the end of this instructable.

If one or more of those art-pieces catch your eyes, you may want to print it. All the files can be found here and here. I have designed those corks to be printed as two separate components and screwed together.

The first part, to be printed in PLA or any rigid plastic of your choice serves as a "handle" with the art-piece shape. It should be printed with the highest possible resolution (ideally 0.06mm layer high with 0.2mm nozzles) and most parts requires tree supports. You may also want to use "fancy" filaments for their esthetic effects. The examples I showed throughout this instructible are printed in copper colored PLA silk.

The second part is the cork proper. It should be printed in TPU and I've done all my tests with 95A TPU (if you are not familiar this number indicates the rigidity). The cork prints best with 0.4 line with and 0.2 layer height. No supports are required. The cork exists in 3 versions: S, M and L. M size is optimized for standard (at least standard in France) 18.5mm bottle. The cork geometry contains an internal air pocket that ensures a good contact with the bottle sides even if the diameter is a bit off. However bottle diameters tend to vary quite a lot depending on where in the world they are produced so the L size is for bottles wider than 19mm and S size is for diameters lower than 17.5mm. If you buy bottles from around the world, i would recommend to have one of each and just check which one fits best...

Once you have both parts printed, just screw them together and its ready.

If you like the concept but you would like to use another artwork, i've added the file for the screw part of the handle. You can combine it with the 3D model of your desired art-piece with Meshmixer or similar software. If you do not have the 3D file but you have access to the original, more and more online option for AI assisted photogrammetry are available nowadays. A quick search will tell you how to use your phone as a scanner. Finally is you have the art-piece 3D file but you don't know how to combine it you can try to send me a message. If i have time i will probably help you do it.