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This translucent work of art is actually a 3-D-printed electric violin named 3Dvarius, designed by French engineer and musician Laurent Bernadac. A commercial printing firm fabricated the instrument in one piece (sans strings and other movable pieces) using a technique called stereolithography to build it layer by layer from photoreactive liquid resin. With no joints to dampen resonance, the violin produces a full sound and firmly resists string pressure, while its lightweight design gives the player more freedom of movement and a stable center of gravity.

[This article originally appeared in print as "Violin Visual."]