Provided is an apparatus and method for describing three-dimensional, image data, an apparatus and method for retrieving three-dimensional image data, and a computer-readable recording media for recording the programs. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for describing three-dimensional image data, and a computer-readable recording-medium that implements the method. Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for retrieving three-dimensional image data suitable for various application areas and display apparatuses, and a computer-readable recording-medium that implements the method. The image description apparatus includes: a descriptor database for storing descriptors describing characteristics of the three-dimensional image data; a descriptor adding unit for reading in a descriptor describing the characteristics of the three-dimensional image data and adding it to the three-dimensional image data; and a registration unit for registering the three-dimensional image data with the descriptor in a three-dimensional image data database.