Reproduction of South-East Asian cultural artefacts: A case of the Mah Meri

Priceless cultural heritage artefacts are gradually being lost due to negligence or the natural processes of deterioration and decay. As a modern means of preservation, three dimensional (3D) scanned replicas of cultural heritage artefacts are often reconstructed for research or for viewing by the public while the original is properly stored and curated. This paper describes the reproduction processes involved using a colour scanner and a colour 3D printer. The subject matter is based on the moribund cultural heritage of the Mah Meri tribe where its artefacts were fully scanned in 3D. The digitisation of its form, colour and texture followed by the physical reproduction of the Mah Meri heritage is the first of such activity in the nation.