What is the picture on the cover of pink floyd's meddle?

Question

Some say an ear, others a nose, thought some one may know.

Answer 1

The band's associate Storm Thorgerson originally suggested a close-up shot of a baboon's anus for the album cover photograph. The band informed him via an inter-continental telephone call whilst on tour in Japan that they would rather have "an ear underwater", which was used as the basis for the final design (with slight colour differences on the original US and Canadian issues of the album). This image formed the outside of the original gatefold cover, while four superimposed black-and-white photographs of the individual band members were used for the interior. This would be the last time that the band members would appear on a Pink Floyd album sleeve, until the release of A Momentary Lapse of Reason, sixteen years later.

Answer 2

This website tells you exactly what the image is. It even explains that it's mirrored to make it square.

My apologies. After further investigation I did find the answer. Interesting about what one person originally wanted to use.

This is directly from another site:

Album art
The band's associate Storm Thorgerson originally suggested a close-up shot of a baboon's anus for the album cover photograph. The band informed him via an inter-continental telephone call whilst on tour in Japan that they would rather have "an ear underwater", which was used as the basis for the final design (with slight colour differences on the original US and Canadian issues of the album). This image formed the outside of the original gatefold cover, while four superimposed black-and-white photographs of the individual band members were used for the interior. This would be the last time that the band members would appear on a Pink Floyd album sleeve, until the release of A Momentary Lapse of Reason, sixteen years later.

Answer 3

Album art

The band's associate Storm Thorgerson originally suggested a close-up shot of a baboon's anus for the album cover photograph. The band informed him via an inter-continental telephone call whilst on tour in Japan that they would rather have "an ear underwater", which was used as the basis for the final design (with slight colour differences on the original US and Canadian issues of the album). This image formed the outside of the original gatefold cover, while four superimposed black-and-white photographs of the individual band members were used for the interior. This would be the last time that the band members would appear on a Pink Floyd album sleeve, until the release of A Momentary Lapse of Reason, sixteen years later.

Answer 4

The Images of Pink Floyd
The cover of Meddle underlined the band's ideas about the visualization of sound with its close-up of a human ear accompanied by visible sound waves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_floyd
hope this helps :)

Answer 5

I've just looked at the album on vinal. If you open the cover fully it is an ear. But if you look at the front cover ONLY it looks like a nose.

Answer 6

Looks like a nose at first, but look a bit closer and you can see it's an ear.

Answer 7

It was an ear underwater
This sort of confirms it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meddle#Album_art

Answer 8

I always thought it was an ear!
I LOVE that album! One of their best!

Answer 9

I thought it was an ear under magnification.... Who knows?