In 1989 photographer Lynn Abercrombie and her husband, former National Geographic staff writer Tom Abercrombie, went to Iraq to do a story on that country. While waiting for permission to leave Baghdad, the Abercrombies decided to photograph some of the exquisite antiquities housed in the Iraq Museum; Lynn made dozens of photographs. Ultimately, National Geographic's editor held the story, awaiting more coverage, and it was never published in the magazine. This image is part of a selection of Lynn Abercrombie's photographs, some of which have not been published anywhere before. As a result of the Iraq War and subsequent looting of the museum, the status of these objects is unknown.

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