Burney Relief
| Burney Relief / Queen of the Night | |
|---|---|
| Material | Clay |
| Size | Height: 49.5 cm (19.5 in) Width: 37 cm (15 in) Thickness: 4.8 cm (1.9 in) |
| Created | 19th-18th century BCE |
| Period/culture | Old Babylonian |
| Place | Made in Babylonia |
| Present location | Room 56, British Museum, London |
| Registration | 2003,0718.1 |
The Burney Relief (also known as the Queen of the Night relief) is a Mesopotamian terracotta plaque in high relief of the Isin-Larsa period or Old-Babylonian period, depicting a winged, nude, goddess-like figure with bird's talons, flanked by owls, and perched upon two lions.
The relief is housed in the British Museum in London, which has dated it between 1800 and 1750 BCE. It originates from southern Mesopotamia, but the exact find-site is unknown. Displaying distinctive iconography, high relief and relatively large size (49.5 cm high), the object is a rare survival from the period.
The authenticity has been questioned from its first appearance in the 1930s. The dating, the identity of the main figure, and other aspects of the work have provoked much discussion among scholars, though a religious subject is generally agreed.