Relief Carving

                                        A relief carving is a figure carving which is not separated from the surface
                                        from which it is carved.  There are two types of relief: Low Relief and
                                        High Relief.

                                        Low Reliefs are carvings which are relatively flush on their background.
                                        Low reliefs do not generally have features (like heads,arms, feet, etc.) that jut out
                                        from the background. The picture at left is an example of low relief as is
                                       the Stele of Hammurabi .

                                        High Reliefs are carvings with elements that jut out dramatically from their
                                        background.  Heads, arms, and legs are often 3/4 or completely
                                        separated from the background.