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Uncategorized Monday, January 16th 2012 at 9:45 am

Artist Spends 16 Years, 6 Million Matchsticks Building Model of Rila Monastery

In what is possibly the most terrifyingly accidentally destructible piece of artwork that has had an enormous amount of time put into its creation, Bulgarian artist Plamen Ignatov has created a model of the Rila Monastery using 6 million matchsticks. It only took him 16 years, so he’s probably not too concerned with the state of instant combustion 6 million matchsticks represents like most other people would be. On display at the National Archaeological Museum in Bulgaria, the piece also employs the use of wood and and gems. Check out more pictures of the insanely intricate piece after the break.

The real, non-matchstick monastery:

(via My Modern Met)

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  • Anonymous

    Stunning Work; Kudos to the artist.

  • Anonymous

    Respect :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/BrianGilmore Brian Gilmore

    I’ve never been a bully, and have always been really precious, proud and cautious about even the sand castles I build. Each LEGO fortress I ever made meant the world to me. But for some reason, I think few things on earth would be more satisfying than destroying this thing with a hilariously-oversized cartoon sledgehammer.

  • guest

    The matchsticks look even more gorgeous than the actual monastery!

  • ian g

    hi i been building models for the past yr and started a new one this week but im having issue biuldng a dome have you got any tips please

    if so email grovsey1@hotmail.com
    ian g