About the publication

Evidence Before Completion

Snapshotottertrovi is an independent, informative website about digital reconstruction of damaged or incomplete sculptural objects.

Flat illustration of a sculpture fragment beside a measured drawing and a hatched alternative completion — Our illustrations explain methods. They are not unpublished findings about real collection objects.

A studio for careful looking

We write for conservators, students and museum-minded readers who want to understand what AI-assisted reconstruction can—and cannot—show.

Our starting point is simple: measurable surviving geometry and plausible missing form are different kinds of information. They should remain distinguishable in the model, the caption and the documentation.

This site is an educational publication, not an automated restoration service, an object authentication service or a substitute for an examination by a qualified conservator.

Our editorial commitments

Object-specific evidence first. A stylistic resemblance is not proof of a missing feature.
Visible uncertainty. We use words, patterns and layers, not color alone.
Revisable interpretation. Alternatives and rejected proposals belong in the record.
Digital and physical boundaries. A virtual completion does not authorize treatment of an original.
Proportionate claims. We do not present model output as recovered historical fact.

Sources and independence

Our guides discuss established conservation principles, imaging methods and documentation frameworks. Named museums, objects and standards supply context; their inclusion does not imply endorsement, partnership or affiliation. We are not affiliated with the Louvre, the Vatican Museums, ICOM or the organizations responsible for the standards discussed here.

Useful starting points include the London Charter, ICOMOS, the International Council of Museums, CIDOC CRM and the Library of Congress format resources. Consult the relevant source and institutional policy for your own project.

Corrections welcome

If a technical distinction is unclear or a source needs correction, tell us which page and passage you mean. Include an accessible reference where possible. Please avoid sending personal information or restricted collection material that is not needed to explain the issue.

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