A New Way to Enrich Museum Experience Through X-ray Tomography The Diagnostic Study of a Wax Anatomical Model of the 18th Century Made by Anna Morandi Manzolini

Abstract

The result of Computed Tomography (CT) investigation consists in a 3D volume of the object able to show its inner parts, revealing hidden structures and materials used in a completely non-invasive way. Its application, in Cultural Heritage field, is an important resource to enhance the knowledge of execution the construction technique and the state of conservation. This work was triggered by a need of diagnostic investigation before the restoration of anatomical wax model of the 18th century made by Anna Morandi Manzolini, kept at the Palazzo Poggi Museum in Bologna, but the peculiarity of the application and its results has yielded new purposes to the diagnostic investigation related to scientific communication and museum fruition. CT analysis was carried out using an experimental CT system specifically designed for the analysis of Cultural Heritage materials, developed by the X-ray imaging research group at the Physics and Astronomy Department of the University of Bologna. The results of the investigation were shown then at the Anatomical Wax Museum ''Luigi Cattaneo'' in Bologna, during the ''Festival of Medical Science. Long Life'', from 7 to 10 May 2015, through a 3D virtual projection.