Something About Red Idols

Babylonian Idol: the search for a superstar!

Are you an adult with an interest in coloring books? Have you ever considered adding color to your favorite Edward Gorey frontispiece? Years ago someone sent us a scan of a black-and-white frontispiece in vivid color. It was later explained the person had not taken colored pencils to their books but had photocopied the images. I believe the person had colorized most of the images in The House with a Clock in its Walls and while it wasn’t my cup of tea he or she had stayed inside the lines.

I’ve periodically thought of this colorization concept when it comes to The Lamp from the Warlock’s Tomb. Gorey has drawn the mysterious room of occult objects as shown in the Nightwood estate, including the prominent red idol statue. Of course Gorey’s image is black-and-white but I would be lying if I hadn’t thought about the earlier idea and adding a little a red to well-read book.

Let us not be silly.

I’m curious if anyone has ever tracked down a possible real-life inspiration for this idol? The British Museum posted a photograph of a relief known as ‘The Queen of the Night’. They believe it to be Babylonia made “between 1792–1750 BC, [and] it may depict Ishtar, goddess of sexual love and war.” Ishtar figures in Lamp and the statue in the book actually being the goddess makes sense.

Or does someone else have their own ideas on what it could be?