---
title: The Queen of the Night Reconstruction
author: Trustees of the British Museum
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2317/the-queen-of-the-night-reconstruction/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# The Queen of the Night Reconstruction

_Authored by Trustees of the British Museum_

## Image File

[![The Queen of the Night Reconstruction](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/2317.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/2317.jpg)

## Image Caption

The [Queen of the Night](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/658/the-queen-of-the-night/) (also known as the `Burney Relief’) is a high relief terracotta plaque of baked clay, measuring 19.4 inches (49.5 cm) high, 14.5 inches (37 cm) wide, with a thickness of 1.8 inches (4.8 cm) depicting a naked winged woman flanked by owls and standing on the backs of two lions. In this reconstruction the original colours have been restored. It originated in southern [Mesopotamia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mesopotamia/) (modern day Iraq) most probably in [Babylonia](https://www.worldhistory.org/babylon/), during the reign of [Hammurabi](https://www.worldhistory.org/hammurabi/) (1792-1750 BCE) as it shares qualities in craftsmanship and technique with the famous diorite stele of Hammurabi’s laws and also with the piece known as `The [god](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) of [Ur](https://www.worldhistory.org/ur/)’ from that same period. The woman depicted is acknowledged to be a goddess as she wears the horned headdress of a deity and holds the sacred rod-and-ring symbol in her raised hands. Who the winged woman is, however, has not been agreed upon though scholars generally believe her to be either [Inanna](https://www.worldhistory.org/Inanna/) ([Ishtar](https://www.worldhistory.org/ishtar/)), Lilith, or [Ereshkigal](https://www.worldhistory.org/Ereshkigal/). (The British Museum, London)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Museum, T. o. t. B. (2014, February 19). The Queen of the Night Reconstruction. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2317/the-queen-of-the-night-reconstruction/>
### Chicago
Museum, Trustees of the British. "The Queen of the Night Reconstruction." *World History Encyclopedia*, February 19, 2014. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2317/the-queen-of-the-night-reconstruction/>.
### MLA
Museum, Trustees of the British. "The Queen of the Night Reconstruction." *World History Encyclopedia*, 19 Feb 2014, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2317/the-queen-of-the-night-reconstruction/>.

## License & Copyright

© Trustees of the [British Museum](http://www.britishmuseum.org/). Republished under the British Museum [Standard Terms of Use](http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_this_site/terms_of_use.aspx) for non-profit educational purposes.[Original image](http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?partid=1&assetid=33375&objectid=1355376) by [**Trustees of the British Museum**](http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?partid=1&assetid=33375&objectid=1355376). Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 19 February 2014. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Copyright](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright). You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.