The group’s state of conservation prior to restoration was not ideal, due to both the inherently fragile nature of the material of which it was made and the inappropriate conditions in which it had been kept and displayed.

The support had dried out considerably and revealed cracks and fractures, particularly on the base. In addition to these small losses in the ground area, the fingers, edges of the folds and the most prominent areas, the work had been vandalised and showed the marks of numerous cuts and graffiti.

Previous restoration had resulted in losses being made up with very hard areas of stucco covering the original surface, protective layers applied in a partial manner that had penetrated the material in an irreversible manner, and some poor quality, volumetric reconstructions. All this meant that the quality and state of preservation of the work was notably uneven and depended on the area in question.