Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s metafictional masterpiece Don Quixote turns 400 this year. For its birthday, the book receives a 3D-printed sculpture of the Don’s indelible horse Rocinante, gifted by Oyma 3D's founder Mahmoud Al-Swedy. Over the course of nine months, the Egyptian entrepreneur designed and prototyped the sculpture until Rocinante was reborn—through a technology beyond Don Quixote’s wildest imaginings. Mounted on a horseshoe-shaped stand with a quoted inscription, “Thou hast seen nothing yet”, Al-Swedy’s beast freezes in majestic mid-gallop with a 3D-printed body that resembles the delicate designs of woodcuts.
The entrepreneur has launched an Indiegogo compaign in the hopes of funding a 400 fold limited-edition distribution of the 3D-printed steed, made from flexible white nylon plastic through the online platform, Shapeways. If all goes well, Al-Swedy also plans to turn his design into a 20-foot tall bronze statue, installed at an as-of-yet undecided locale.
