Hi,

I'm a young preparator assisting in the organization of an exhibit of Egyptian artifacts. Our last registrar, who is gone now, had placed 2 or 3 terra cotta bowls in a micro-environment with dessicants. Can someone explain the purpose of this to me? I understand the need to keep the moisture/humidity low, but I'm also concerned that a humidity level that is too low may cause unnecessary drying and cracking to the pottery.

Secondly, we are placing this exhibit in a space flooded with natural light. I know that stone, metal and terra cotta objects themselves are not in much danger from the uv light, but I was slightly concerned about the unglazed pigments on some of the pieces. We also have a relief fragment from the wall of a temple. Any thoughts on possible uv damage to these pigments?

Thanks