Katherine Tsiang, associate director of the University of Chicago's Center for the Art of East Asia, spent many years travellingaroundtheworld to locate the missing sculptures and collect 3D digital images - technology that was not available when she started the project.
Even granny's 80th birthday is more likely to be held in a posh hotel with guests travelling half aroundtheworld to be there, with everyone pitching in to buy her a cruise aroundthe Mediterranean.