In the historical development of man, the elementary care to safeguard- preserve certain objects from the wear and tear of time and the maintenance of their original form, which were related to his survival, his metaphysic needs and also his identity, is as old as man's desire to save and preserve his historical existence through the passage of timespace.
The work of art, as an expression of man, is manifested via the material. Consequently it is also subject to the laws of nature of our planet.
This, in fact, was the reason for him to try, in various ways and with a variety of methods, to restrict, and if possible to suspend, all those erosive factors in nature that wear out the material elements of the work of art, with the ultimate aim of extending its longevity.
Through the centuries, this effort got a professional character and nowadays the field of conservation is surrounded by highly trained scientists.