THE WORLD’S oldest football, discovered in the bedchamber of Mary Queen of Scots at Stirling Castle, is being brought into the metaverse.
The nearly 500-year-old ball, which is usually kept at The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, has been scanned by specialists at the University of Glasgow to create a museum-quality digital version.
Dating from around 1540, the historic artefact is roughly the size of a small melon and is far smaller than the balls used in the modern game.
Florida bound.
It has also made its way to the United States, where it will appear at Scotland’s World Cup match against Brazil in Miami on Wednesday.
Before its journey to America, the ball was taken to the University of Glasgow, where 3D content specialists Conor Fraser and Ben Morris began capturing it using advanced photogrammetry and digital artistry.
The digital twin will allow people to examine the ball in virtual reality, including its scuffed leather surface, stitching and repairs, without risking damage to the original object.
The work is being supported by researchers at the University’s Realities and Immersion Glasgow centre, known as RIG, alongside the Wonder platform developed by University spin-out Infinite Muse.
“Explore every stitch.”
Professor Pauline Mackay, Co-Director of RIG and Co-Founder of Infinite Muse, said the technology allows people to “explore every stitch and every repair” of rare heritage objects.
She said: “Immersive technologies now enable people to interact with unique heritage items like the world’s oldest football and explore every stitch and every repair, deepening our understanding of the object’s history and significance.
“This opens up possibilities for museums and visitors to engage with cultural heritage in exciting new ways, expanding access to unique heritage collections for wider, even global, audiences.”
Conor Fraser, Lead 3D Optimisation Technician at the University’s Advanced Research Centre, said the team was creating lifelike 3D models which allow people to experience objects as though they were holding them.
Shared around the world.
Kirstie Campbell, Assistant Director of The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, accompanied the ball to the University for its initial scanning.
She said: “Although we are a small museum, we care for objects of global significance like the world’s oldest football and this process really brings home the potential of new technology to share them far more widely around the world.
“As the football takes its place on a global stage at the FIFA World Cup, it’s exciting to know its story will soon be experienced in entirely new ways by audiences around the world.”
The project follows the creation of The Treasures of Scottish Football: A Virtual Reality Experience at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden, which explores the history of football in Scotland.
Iona Craig has an NCTJ from Glasgow Clyde, PhD in English Research from University of Strathclyde and a Masters Distinction in History from the University of Stirling. Currently working as a Journalist intern at Deadline News.
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