Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research are working with museums in Florence on a joint project called 3D-COFORM which aims to digitally scan and reconstruct works of art from all over the world.  In addition to simply scanning & storing them for display, they are working on a way to link and correlate objects, creating digital collections and creating a searchable database.

“But we are still a long way from being able to sensibly correlate 3D data between different objects,” says Dr. André Stork, Head of Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in Darmstadt and a partner in the 3D-COFORM consortium.

via History In 3-D: Digitally Archived Works Of Art.