Have you ever looked at a piece of artwork and wondered how it was 'floating' into place?  How does the frame safely attach a drawing or photograph without permanently adhering the artwork down?  In conservation framing, everything should be completely reversible and pH neutral, eliminating a lot of common adhesives from the framer's options. Luckily, there is a wonderful naturally made glue and traditional technique that meets all the requirements: wheat starch and rice paper hinges. 

So what is a hinge? And why not just glue the artwork directly down to the backing? Time, heat, and humidity. Our environment is constantly changing, both in temperature and moisture content. These fluctuations occur not only in the air but in the objects and materials around us - including our artwork! Because of this, the attachment method needs to be able to move with the artwork.