Many balls of that era were protected with shellac. It doesn't hurt the ball, or the ink, but there are two problems. First, the shellac yellows over time. Since over seventy years have passed since the ball was shellacked, it is now as yellow as it's gonna get, so if you can live with the color, that's fine. The other problem is that if the shellac chips off, it can--and most likely will--take the ink with it. So, don't bang it around. A UV-safe ball cube will be fine for storing the ball. Store it in a cool, dry, and above all, dark, place, and you'll be fine.
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