The object's old label read "priapic figure." (priapic: phallic, sexually overexcited, lustful) Its subject had exaggerated sexual features. A previous curator had called the carving obscene and placed it in a sack. (obscene: indecent, vulgar, lewd) The current curator preferred to label the subject plainly and explain its historical context. A newer artist's work hung next to it, a voluptuous figure asleep on a bank of lilies. (voluptuous: curvaceous, full-figured, curvy)
The porter was more concerned with weight than modesty. The old carving had an unexpectedly delicate base. The curator's euphemism, "irregular in outline," concealed the one detail he needed: the object would not stand upright by itself. (euphemism: softened expression, gentler wording, polite substitute) Euphemistically calling the sack "protective housing" made it no easier to grip. (euphemistically: indirectly, in softened terms, delicately)
He made a cradle that would accommodate the base and carry the carving safely. (accommodate: hold, house, fit) He also asked for the dimensions to appear on the new label. The final case offered visitors the choice of a screened view. In the workshop the porter kept the empty sack. It was exactly the right size for the curator's next shipment of lilies.