One of our sculpting projects was to create a set of relief tiles, using clay to create the mould, and then cast the image in plaster. It was an interesting exercise, with the results shown below. The subtlety of all marks emerged in the tiles, from the buds on the tree branches to the most delicate shell image.

However I was even more interested when I came across a reference to the Ishtar Gate (the 8th gate of the inner city wall of Babylon). The facade of the Ishtar Gate featured huge relief tiles, in the shape of animals. Photos taken in the 1930s show the shapes clearly evident in the earth encrusted walls. The brilliant blue gate now resides in Berlin, at the Pergamon Museum. Segments of the relief tiles reside in many other museums.

So I have something inspirational to consider on my relief tile journey.