The best thing for these objects is to be kept in the dark and cold, but we want them to be visible and available. So we take a preventive role, managing the environment to slow down ageing processes. We use paper boxes that emit none of the gases or pollutants that accelerate deterioration. Relative humidity is kept below 70%, the point above which moulds kick in. We try to keep light damage, which is irreversible on textiles, to an absolute minimum. Organic dyes can be really affected by light. If you look at old tapestries, the trees can appear blue, because the dye was originally a combination of yellow and blue, and the more light-sensitive and fugitive yellow is gone.
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