Making clay moulds for cameos

Another idea I have had for my project relating to French aristocracy and the contrast between beauty and death is creating clay cameos, onto which I can draw portraits (either using sgraffito techniques on the clay itself or other methods).

I found some moulds that were circular and oval-shaped, in order to press earthenware clay into and create a frame-like piece.  Once I had practised these, and created some lovely cameos with different coloured slips and portraits sgraffito-d into the slip (please see photos), I made a cast of a decorative glass plate I bought in order to have a frame with decoration on to use as a mould.