| Burney Relief / Queen of the Night | |
|---|---|
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| 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 displayed 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. Apart from its distinctive iconography, the piece is noted for its high relief and relatively large size (49.5 cm high) making it a very rare survival from the period. The authenticity of the object has been questioned from its first appearance in the 1930s, but opinion has generally moved in its favour over the subsequent decades.
The dating, the identity of the main figure, and other aspects of the work have also provoked much discussion among scholars, though a religious subject is generally agreed.