3D measurement and replica creation
Documentation and 3D printing

The gold hat from Ezelsdorf/Buch is an outstanding artifact from the Bronze Age. It was discovered in Bavaria in 1953 and is one of only four conical hats made of gold from this period. The hat is about 88.5 cm high, has a base diameter of just under 20 cm at its widest point and is made of thin sheet gold that is elaborately decorated with concentric patterns of circles, dots and lines in the form of ornamental bands and hallmarks.

The decorations on the gold hat may have astronomical significance. The circular motifs are interpreted as symbols of the sun, which played a central role in Bronze Age religion.

However, the exact meaning of the objects is not easy to clarify. It is assumed that they were “hats” worn by priests as symbols of power and knowledge for religious and ceremonial purposes.

Today, the gold hat from Ezelsdorf/Buch is on display in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum (GNM) in Nuremberg and offers a fascinating insight into the craftsmanship and cultural knowledge of Bronze Age people.

TASK DEFINITION

The task for this project was to digitize the original object in the GNM in the highest possible resolution and accuracy. Derived from the surface scans, a gold hat replica was to be produced from this data for the blind and visually impaired as a white tactile model in original size. In addition, four hallmark motifs were produced as enlarged and exaggerated, intuitively tactile 3D ornamental bands.

The replica produced using 3D printing is currently part of the GNM’s special exhibition “The Last Journey – The Chariot Tomb of Essenbach – A Treasure of the Bronze Age” (July 2024 to January 2025).

The implementation took place in 4 phases: 3D digitization of the original, creation of a true-to-color and true-to-scale 3D model, production in 3D printing and multimedia preparation of the data.