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mike_c

(37,112 posts)
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 02:02 PM Friday

Queen of the Night

A Mesopotamian terracotta relief of disputed provenance at the British Museum in London. Previously known as the Burney relief (after an antiquities dealer), it was purchased for $2.03 million and renamed the Queen of the Night.

Photography in the British Museum was difficult due to massive crowds and reflections on glass cabinets. Lights were low and I could only shoot hand-held.

36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Queen of the Night (Original Post) mike_c Friday OP
I love her feet! Ocelot II Friday #1
me too! mike_c Friday #2
Symbols of her chthonic powers. littlemissmartypants Friday #12
or her dancing abilities? orleans Friday #27
If she's dancing in hell. littlemissmartypants Friday #28
Thanks for the new word. yonder Friday #31
Fantastic. Thx. yorkster Friday #3
glad you like it! mike_c Friday #8
Is that an Instagram model? johnnyplankton Friday #4
I'm not sure what an Instagram model is mike_c Friday #9
Looks like Lilith Blue Full Moon Friday #5
it appears the modern consensus... mike_c Friday #10
Not too surprising since myths do cross cultures Blue Full Moon Friday #26
They get recycled, thus Christianity. paleotn Friday #29
Plus a mushroom trip. Lol Blue Full Moon Friday #35
She looks like . . . AverageOldGuy Friday #6
dude.... mike_c Friday #14
She ripped out my heart and stomped on it . . . AverageOldGuy Friday #32
Wow, you dated a girl with feet like that ??? eppur_se_muova Friday #33
Outstanding! H2O Man Friday #7
thanks! mike_c Friday #15
Pic is excellent Picaro Friday #11
thanks! mike_c Friday #16
You kind of have to turn off any ethical judgement Picaro Friday #22
absolutely mike_c Friday #24
Well done! ❤️ littlemissmartypants Friday #13
thank you! mike_c Friday #18
Very nice. Great job! KPN Friday #17
thanks! mike_c Friday #20
Oh wow! "The Magic Flute" is my favorite opera ... fierywoman Friday #19
thank you! mike_c Friday #21
A truly wonderful photo. democrank Friday #23
thank you, democrank! mike_c Friday #25
Wow! Joinfortmill Friday #30
Good job mike_c, under less than ideal conditions. George McGovern Friday #34
thanks George! mike_c Saturday #36

mike_c

(37,112 posts)
10. it appears the modern consensus...
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 03:52 PM
Friday

...is that the figure represents either Ereshkigal or Inanna, both goddesses in the Mesopotamian pantheon.

AverageOldGuy

(4,048 posts)
32. She ripped out my heart and stomped on it . . .
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 05:06 PM
Friday

. . . then this drop-dead gorgeous girl in my Shakespeare class -- who I thought would never give me a second look -- took pity on me, patched me up and this July 30 we will have been married for 60 years.

Picaro

(2,407 posts)
11. Pic is excellent
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 03:53 PM
Friday

Wouldn’t have known that you had a struggle getting a good shot.

Well, done. Will be touring the British Museum next week. I’ ll be looking for this.

Well done and thanks for posting.

mike_c

(37,112 posts)
16. thanks!
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:01 PM
Friday

My wife did better with her phone in most cases. Have a great time when you go! It's a remarkable museum, even if it is likely the world's greatest monument to cultural theft.

Picaro

(2,407 posts)
22. You kind of have to turn off any ethical judgement
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:09 PM
Friday

Been there a number of years ago. The Elgin marbles are just one representation of British thievery. This piece is another.

Still want to see it.

mike_c

(37,112 posts)
24. absolutely
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:14 PM
Friday

The Elgin marbles, Rosetta Stone, and Assyrian gates are all displayed near one another on the first level. Standing in front of them was really special.

mike_c

(37,112 posts)
20. thanks!
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:03 PM
Friday

Pretty much every artifact in that museum is astounding in one way or another.

fierywoman

(8,612 posts)
19. Oh wow! "The Magic Flute" is my favorite opera ...
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:02 PM
Friday

... I'm fascinated by this image. Thank you and : great job with the difficulty photographing it.

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