The original sculptural heads and busts were produced from clay for religious icons in the form of various Gods, Goddesses and Deities. Carved busts in stone were also widespread, and reached an advanced level of artistic expression in the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilisations.The word bust is derived from the Italian word busto, and more then likely from the latin word bustum, both meaning sepulchral monument. This indicates they were created for a burial vault or a receptacle for sacred relics. They were used on tombs to remember the departed in the form of a ceramic portrait in the form of
