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The Brooklyn Museum

Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art
The Dinner Party: Heritage Floor: Inanna




signature image

Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Heritage Floor; detail), 1974–79. Porcelain with rainbow and gold luster, 48 x 48 x 48 ft. (14.6 x 14.6 x 14.6 m). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago. Photograph by Jook Leung Photography

Inanna
Mythic, worshipped in Sumer (modern-day Iraq), circa 3500–2500 B.C.

Inanna was a Sumerian virgin goddess of love and war, literally "Lady of Heaven," and she is identified with Ishtar, Astarte, and Aphrodite. She was a daughter of the sky god An or the moon god Nanna (depending on the myth). The most famous Inanna legend recounts her descent into the underworld, which was ruled by her sister, who killed her, causing all the crops on earth to die. Enki intervened and restored Inanna on the condition that someone take her place in the underworld. She chose her lover, Dumuzi.

Related Place Setting

Ishtar

Related Heritage Floor Entries

Amat-Mamu
Anahita
Anath
Aphrodite
Arinitti
Asherah
Ashtoreth
Astarte
Baranamtarra
Blodeuwedd
Cerridwen

Cybele
Encheduanna
Hannahanna
Hathor
Iltani
Isis
Kubaba
Shibtu
Shub-Ad of Ur
Tanith

Last updated April 12, 2007.
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