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mike_c

(37,107 posts)
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 02:02 PM 10 hrs ago

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.

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

mike_c

(37,107 posts)
10. it appears the modern consensus...
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 03:52 PM
8 hrs ago

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

AverageOldGuy

(4,029 posts)
32. She ripped out my heart and stomped on it . . .
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 05:06 PM
7 hrs ago

. . . 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

(2,405 posts)
11. Pic is excellent
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 03:53 PM
8 hrs ago

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

(37,107 posts)
16. thanks!
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:01 PM
8 hrs ago

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

(2,405 posts)
22. You kind of have to turn off any ethical judgement
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:09 PM
8 hrs ago

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

(37,107 posts)
24. absolutely
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:14 PM
8 hrs ago

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

(37,107 posts)
20. thanks!
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:03 PM
8 hrs ago

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

fierywoman

(8,609 posts)
19. Oh wow! "The Magic Flute" is my favorite opera ...
Fri Apr 24, 2026, 04:02 PM
8 hrs ago

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

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