Mankind and Hope
This wooden sculpture was carved for the Trusteeship Council Chamber and was donated by the Danish Government. Created by Danish sculptor Henrik Starcke (1899 – 1973) of Copenhagen, an inventive, imaginative artist who often worked with unusual materials such as flint, gravel, brick, and rusty nails.
The artist wrote of this work, “As the natural growth of the trunk of the tree, used in the sculpture, gives promise of a still greater life, so do I hope to inspire in those present the realization of the great human dream. The bird above the figure, with its wings spread, suggests unlimited flight upward to greater heights. The arms of the figure itself are spread out in the same spirit as the wings of the bird, and I hope this might convey the appeal for the compassion for the weak, the unfortunate, and the oppressed.”
In 1968, the United Nations Postal Administration created a stamp with this sculpture (Scott# 0183184).
In the context of the Trusteeship Council, the sculpture might be seen to symbolize the colonies achieving independence.
United Nations Secretary-General Trygve Lie (1896 – 1968) encouraged Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to contribute funds and architects for the design of the 3 main chambers for 3 major United Nations Organs - Security Council, ECOSCO and Trusteeship.
On 25 April 2013, the renovated Trusteeship Council Chamber was inaugurated in the presence of Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, along with members from Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations and others.