The Sleeping Hermaphrodite Museum Replica is a Roman marble sculpture created in the first half of the 2nd century AD as a faithful copy of a lost Hellenistic bronze original attributed to the Greek sculptor Polycles (circa 150–140 BC). The figure rests on a marble mattress and pillow carved by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1620. The sculpture is executed in ronde-bosse technique and was designed to be viewed from all sides. From one angle the form presents the polished, sensual curves of a sleeping female figure; from another the male anatomical attributes become visible, producing the deliberate visual surprise intended by the ancient artist and reflecting the mythological union of Hermaphroditus as described by Ovid.
This replica is produced by advanced 3D-printing and precision casting processes to reproduce the original’s proportions, surface modelling, drapery details, ribbon-bound hair in crobylos style and the characteristic polished finish of the marble figure together with Bernini’s mattress and pillow.
Available materials for the hermaphroditus museum replica:
– White nylon: The surface is polished to achieve a smoother tactile quality. This is the most economical material option.
– Black nylon: After post-printing treatment and Color Touch finishing the replicas are resistant to external conditions, scratching and rubbing. Colour is stable and consistent between production batches, yielding a uniform surface of high quality suitable for repeated or demanding display conditions.
– Bronze: A 3D-printed wax master model is used to create a plaster mould. Liquid bronze is then cast to replace the wax, producing a finished object with the elegant appearance of traditional metal sculpture.
– Gold plated brass: The same lost-wax casting process from a 3D-printed wax master is employed; the resulting brass form receives a gold plating for a refined metallic surface.
– White rhodium plated brass: Produced by identical lost-wax casting from a 3D-printed master in brass, followed by white rhodium plating to provide a bright, platinum-like metallic finish.
More about the materials: https://www.sculpteo.com/en/materials/
Objects that exceed the dimensional limits of the production process for any of the above materials are supplied at a reduced scale relative to the original sculpture. In selected cases hollowing is incorporated to reduce material consumption and price.
