bas relief

/bæs rɪˈlif/

/bɑ rɪˈlif/

Other forms: bas reliefs

Bas relief is an artistic technique that involves lightly carving a design into a surface. Most coins have images stamped on them in bas relief.

In general, relief makes an artwork look like the picture is raised up from a flat background. There are two types of relief, high and low — or bas — relief. Bas relief is distinguished by the relative shallowness of the image, and you can see it in a lot of ancient Egyptian art. The French bas-relief is borrowed from the Italian basso-rilievo, "low relief" or "raised work."

Definitions of bas relief

1. noun

   a sculptural relief in which forms extend only slightly from the background; no figures are undercut
   synonyms: basso relievo, basso rilievo, low relief

   type of:

   embossment, relief, relievo, rilievo, sculptural relief

   sculpture consisting of shapes carved on a surface so as to stand out from the surrounding background