ISHTAR, QUEEN OF THE NIGHT necklace pendant

RAW BRONZE usually ship in 1-2 days. All other materials may take up to two weeks.

FOR DELIVERY OUTSIDE U.S.: Please contact me before placing an order.

This pendant is an extremely accurate 3D scanned, 3D printed, and hand-cast reduction of the British Museum's 3,800 year-old baked-clay plaque called "the Queen of the Night", also known as "the Burney Relief."

Thought to be from southern Iraq, it depicts Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. Rather than a mere pictorial representation of the goddess, the relief is more likely a symbol of her presence.

Standing on two male lions and flanked by two owls, Ishtar is nude, winged, with bird's talons, and crowned by a four-tiered headdress of horns. She's wearing a broad, beaded necklace above her breasts, and three bracelets on each wrist. She's holding a rod and ring symbolizing justice and her divinity. Babylonian deities knew how to accessorize.

I 3D scanned the original at the British Museum in 2012. The original plaque is almost twenty inches tall, but I've reduced it to just over 2 inches and set it in a bale so that you can wear this striking, nearly four millennia-old work of art as a pendant.

MATERIALS: Available in gold, silver, bronze, and platinum.

FINISHES: All my designs have very fine details. The "raw" finish shows all the most intricate features, and has a very fine-grained texture that creates a subtle satin finish. It's bright and pretty, and on silver it creates an unusual luminous effect. The "polished" and plated options are smooth and are nearly a mirror finish; the very finest details are slightly softened in the polishing process. The "steel-bronze" material is slightly less detailed, but has a distinct grain texture, especially in recessed areas, that creates a highlighted effect.

PRODUCTION TIME: This pendant takes me around 12 days to produce before I can ship it to you. Sometimes I can get them done faster, and occasionally I have some pieces in stock. If you need something quickly, please contact me before placing an order and I can let you know what's possible.

MATERIAL CARE & HANDLING: Materials other than gold and platinum may tarnish, but can be polished bright again with a soft cloth.

STEEL-BRONZE ALLOY: There is color and sheen variation from piece to piece in the steel-bronze alloy. This material will oxidize, but can be buffed with a soft cloth or even fine sandpaper to make bright again and bring out highlights.