I’d say no. The digital patina will never match the tiny colour shifts you see when light hits a real crack. Modeling those micro‑cracks just makes the piece look tidy, which is the opposite of the aesthetic of absence we cherish. Keep the real patina, the real pigment residues, and let the cracks speak for themselves.

High‑resolution imaging sounds nice, but even the best scanner can’t replicate the way light hits a real crack. A digital copy will always feel flat, like a copy of a conversation that never quite landed. I’d rather keep the statue exactly as it is, let people see the true patina and the raw, unpolished lines. If you’re going to use tech, keep it in the background—conservation should never be overridden by a glossy overlay.