diff --git a/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
--- a/pytest.ini
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [pytest]
-addopts = -p no:flask -p no:pytest_swh_storage --ignore=swh/web/tests/random_fixtures_test.py
+addopts = -p no:flask -p no:pytest_swh_storage --ignore=swh/web/tests/random_fixtures_test.py -k test_api_raw_directory
 norecursedirs = build docs node_modules .tox
 DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE = swh.web.settings.tests
 filterwarnings =
diff --git a/swh/web/api/urls.py b/swh/web/api/urls.py
--- a/swh/web/api/urls.py
+++ b/swh/web/api/urls.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import swh.web.api.views.origin  # noqa
 import swh.web.api.views.origin_save  # noqa
 import swh.web.api.views.ping  # noqa
+import swh.web.api.views.raw  # noqa
 import swh.web.api.views.release  # noqa
 import swh.web.api.views.revision  # noqa
 import swh.web.api.views.snapshot  # noqa
diff --git a/swh/web/api/views/metadata.py b/swh/web/api/views/metadata.py
--- a/swh/web/api/views/metadata.py
+++ b/swh/web/api/views/metadata.py
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@
 from swh.web.api.apiurls import api_route
 from swh.web.common import archive, converters
 from swh.web.common.exc import BadInputExc, NotFoundExc
-from swh.web.common.utils import reverse
-
-SWHID_RE = "swh:1:[a-z]{3}:[0-9a-z]{40}"
+from swh.web.common.utils import SWHID_RE, reverse
 
 
 @api_route(
diff --git a/swh/web/api/views/raw.py b/swh/web/api/views/raw.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/web/api/views/raw.py
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2018-2019  The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+from django.http import HttpResponse
+
+from swh.model.git_objects import (
+    # content_git_object,
+    directory_git_object,
+    revision_git_object,
+    release_git_object,
+    snapshot_git_object,
+)
+import swh.model.model as model
+from swh.model.swhids import CoreSWHID, ObjectType
+from swh.web.api.apidoc import api_doc, format_docstring
+from swh.web.api.apiurls import api_route
+from swh.web.api.views.utils import api_lookup
+from swh.web.common import archive
+from swh.web.common.utils import SWHID_RE
+
+
+@api_route(
+    f"/raw/(?P<swhid_r>{SWHID_RE})/",
+    "api-1-raw-object",
+)
+@api_doc("/raw/")
+@format_docstring()
+def api_raw_object(request, swhid_r):
+    """
+    .. http:get::  /api/1/raw/<swhid>/
+
+        Get the object corresponding to the SWHID in raw form.
+
+        This endpoint exposes the internal representation (see
+        :func:`swh.model.git_objects.*_git_object` in our data
+        model module for details), and so can be used to fetch a binary
+        blob which hashes to the same identifier.
+
+        :param string swhid: the object's SWHID
+
+        :resheader Content-Type: application/octet-stream
+
+        :statuscode 200: no error
+        :statuscode 400: an invalid SWHID has been provided
+        :statuscode 404: the requested object can not be found in the archive
+
+        **Example:**
+
+        .. parsed-literal::
+
+            :swh_web_api:`raw/swh:1:snp:6a3a2cf0b2b90ce7ae1cf0a221ed68035b686f5a`
+    """
+
+    swhid = CoreSWHID.from_string(swhid_r)
+
+    data = api_lookup(
+        archive.lookup_object,
+        swhid.object_type,
+        swhid.object_id,
+        complete=True,
+        notfound_msg=f"Object with id {swhid_r} not found.",
+        request=request,
+    )
+
+    json_to_git = {
+        # ObjectType.CONTENT: lambda obj: content_git_object(
+        #     model.Content.from_dict(obj)
+        # ),
+        ObjectType.DIRECTORY: lambda obj: directory_git_object(
+            model.Directory.from_dict(obj)
+        ),
+        ObjectType.REVISION: lambda obj: revision_git_object(
+            model.Revision.from_dict(obj)
+        ),
+        ObjectType.RELEASE: lambda obj: release_git_object(
+            model.Release.from_dict(obj)
+        ),
+        ObjectType.SNAPSHOT: lambda obj: snapshot_git_object(
+            model.Snapshot.from_dict(obj)
+        ),
+    }[swhid.object_type]
+
+    results = json_to_git(data)
+
+    response = HttpResponse(results, content_type="application/octet-stream")
+    filename = swhid.replace(":", "_") + "_raw"
+    response["Content-disposition"] = f"attachment; filename={filename}"
+
+    return response
diff --git a/swh/web/api/views/vault.py b/swh/web/api/views/vault.py
--- a/swh/web/api/views/vault.py
+++ b/swh/web/api/views/vault.py
@@ -15,13 +15,12 @@
 from swh.web.api.views.utils import api_lookup
 from swh.web.common import archive, query
 from swh.web.common.exc import BadInputExc
-from swh.web.common.utils import reverse
+from swh.web.common.utils import SWHID_RE, reverse
+
 
 ######################################################
 # Common
 
-SWHID_RE = "swh:1:[a-z]{3}:[0-9a-z]{40}"
-
 
 # XXX: a bit spaghetti. Would be better with class-based views.
 def _dispatch_cook_progress(request, bundle_type: str, swhid: CoreSWHID):
diff --git a/swh/web/common/archive.py b/swh/web/common/archive.py
--- a/swh/web/common/archive.py
+++ b/swh/web/common/archive.py
@@ -1372,7 +1372,9 @@
     return _RevisionsWalkerProxy(rev_walker_type, rev_start, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
-def lookup_object(object_type: ObjectType, object_id: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+def lookup_object(
+    object_type: ObjectType, object_id: str, *, complete: bool = False
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """
     Utility function for looking up an object in the archive by its type
     and id.
@@ -1383,6 +1385,11 @@
         object_id (str): the *sha1_git* checksum identifier in hexadecimal
             form of the object to lookup
 
+        complete (bool): Whether to include full objects, rather than their
+            default truncations.
+
+            Currently just affects snapshots.
+
     Returns:
         Dict[str, Any]: A dictionary describing the object or a list of
         dictionary for the directory object type.
@@ -1401,7 +1408,10 @@
     elif object_type == ObjectType.REVISION:
         return lookup_revision(object_id)
     elif object_type == ObjectType.SNAPSHOT:
-        return lookup_snapshot(object_id)
+        if complete:
+            return lookup_snapshot(object_id, branch_name_exclude_prefix=None)
+        else:
+            return lookup_snapshot(object_id)
     else:
         raise ValueError(f"Unexpected object type variant: {object_type}")
 
diff --git a/swh/web/common/utils.py b/swh/web/common/utils.py
--- a/swh/web/common/utils.py
+++ b/swh/web/common/utils.py
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 
 SWH_WEB_METRICS_REGISTRY = CollectorRegistry(auto_describe=True)
 
+SWHID_RE = "swh:1:[a-z]{3}:[0-9a-z]{40}"
+
 swh_object_icons = {
     "alias": "mdi mdi-star",
     "branch": "mdi mdi-source-branch",
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/api/views/test_raw.py b/swh/web/tests/api/views/test_raw.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/web/tests/api/views/test_raw.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2015-2019  The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+import hashlib
+
+# from swh.model.git_objects import content_git_object
+from swh.web.common.utils import reverse
+# from swh.web.tests.data import random_content
+from swh.web.tests.utils import (
+    # check_api_get_responses,
+    check_http_get_response,
+)
+
+
+# def test_api_raw_content_ko_not_found(api_client):
+#     unknown_content_ = random_content()
+#
+#     url = reverse(
+#         "api-1-raw-object", url_args={"q": "sha1_git:%s" % unknown_content_["sha1_git"]}
+#     )
+#     rv = check_api_get_responses(api_client, url, status_code=404)
+#     assert rv.data == {
+#         "exception": "NotFoundExc",
+#         "reason": "Content with sha1 checksum equals to %s not found!"
+#         % unknown_content_["sha1_git"],
+#     }
+
+
+# def test_api_raw_content(api_client, archive_data, content):
+#     object_id = content["sha1_git"]
+#     object_ty = "cnt"
+#     url = reverse(
+#         "api-1-raw-object", url_args={"swhid_r": f"swh:1:{object_ty}:{object_id}"}
+#     )
+#
+#     rv = check_http_get_response(api_client, url, status_code=200)
+#     assert rv["Content-Type"] == "application/octet-stream"
+#     assert (
+#         rv["Content-disposition"]
+#         == f"attachment; filename=swh_1_{object_ty}_{object_id}_raw"
+#     )
+#     expected_data = archive_data.content_get_data(object_id)
+#     assert rv.content == content_git_object(expected_data)
+
+
+def test_api_raw_directory(api_client, archive_data, directory):
+    object_id = directory
+    object_ty = "dir"
+    url = reverse(
+        "api-1-raw-object", url_args={"swhid_r": f"swh:1:{object_ty}:{object_id}"}
+    )
+
+    rv = check_http_get_response(api_client, url, status_code=200)
+    assert rv["Content-Type"] == "application/octet-stream"
+    assert (
+        rv["Content-disposition"]
+        == f"attachment; filename=swh_1_{object_ty}_{object_id}_raw"
+    )
+    sha1_git = hashlib.new("sha1", rv.content).digest()
+    assert sha1_git == object_id