ASMR at the museum: How to pack a fragile (and toxic ⚠️) object

// Listen with headphones for best experience //

Join museum technician Sarah she makes a bespoke box from scratch for a delicate and quite dangerous ewer (otherwise known as a jug), so it can be moved across the city from our current storage facility in West London, to V&A East Storehouse – a new storage facility in Stratford.

Listen as Sarah takes us through the process, step-by-step – from examining the object to identify hazardous materials and delicate details, to carefully measuring and slicing through squeaky Foamcore and Plastazote to create the walls, lid and supports for the box. Watch as she tapes together and snips the edges with extreme precision, not to mention her professional wielding of the trusty glue gun.

00:00 Why does this need to be packed?
00:53 How to handle a toxic object
01:22 Close-up details and materials
02:27 Making a custom box from scratch
03:52 Measuring and cutting – blade cutting Foamcore
06:12 Taping together a test box
08:19 Smoothing tape to reinforce edges
09:25 Glueing edges with warm glue gun
12:05 Folding tape and sticking in internal edges
13:25 Making the door and top of the box – smooth and safe edges
15:22 Scissor snips to make perfect corners
16:40 Attaching cotton ribbon ties
19:21 Cutting and glueing Plastazote blocks for maximum stability
20:51 Cutting an oval of silk as a buffer
22:00 Carefully fitting the object in its brand new box for transport to V&A East Storehouse

See the toxic ewer and many other objects at V&A East Storehouse from 2025: https://www.vam.ac.uk/east

More ASMR at the museum:    • ASMR at the museum