ABSTRACT
This chapter describes three experimental exhibits, sound, colour and interaction, installed in the Petrie and Horniman Museums in order to test the effects of certain display techniques. The experimental exhibits were set up to address specific interpretation strategies. One among this is with one single object, an ancient Egyptian ostracon. The experiments' relevance to the visitor-object interaction model are shown. The interpretation methods tested consisted of: in the Petrie Museum, a colour-coded, multi-layered booklet for an ostracon with hieratic inscriptions. Compared to the British Museum, the Petrie galleries are small, with object-rich displays designed for a primary audience of those with a specific interest in Egyptian antiquities. In the Petrie Museum, the small gallery was normally fairly quiet. The African world's gallery was larger and more spacious than the Petrie Museum, with displays including many large and dramatic objects that communicated the diversity and creativity of the whole African continent.
