HANDS IN PRAYER
for
The Icorec Trust
Fine Art Bronze Sculpture
![HRH PRINCE PHILIP Duke of Edinburgh at The UN HQ in New York 1990 A Man Called Horse - Sculpture. This colour photo shows a fine art bronze sculpture outdoors. The sculpture is of a semi-abstract standing figure and the photo is taken from the side so we are looking at the right side with the ficure facing right. It is standing on two legs - possibly back legs.. It has a very short body and from the right shoulder is an elongated limb sloping forwards and down at about 30 degrees to the horizontal. This limb (it is difficult to decide if it is an arm or a foreleg of a horse) makes a sudden turn and drops vertically to the ground. There is no left arm or foreleg. Beyond the shoulder is a horse's neck which continues upwards at 30 degrees and then bends downwards, at 45 degrees culminating in a horse's head with two ears pricked forward. The bronze shows the daubs of clay and is a slightly mottled, dark ash grey colour. The background shows a brown field with post and rail fencing and beyond that green fields, also with post and rail fencing. One of the fences has a row of tall trees coming into leaf. Behind the trees are some low, white fluffy clouds and above them and behind the majority of the sculpture, a brilliant and very clear blue sky.](https://neillawsonbaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/hrh-prince-philip-duke-of-edinburgh-at-the-un-in-new-york-1990.jpg)
HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh at the UN Security Council in 1993
The Hands in Prayer sculpture is bottom right
I was approached in London by Shelley Vaughan Williams who asked if I would cast a bronze sculpture of hands in prayer. It was to be used as an annual award for religious literature, given by The Icorec Trust. The first year, it was to be presented by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in the Security Council Chamber of the United Nations building, in New York. The Icorec Trust was formed to promote multi-racialism and religious tolerance.
I duly carved and cast the sculpture and flew it to New York for this auspicious occasion.
I was privileged to be invited to the event and was later interviewed about it on UN Radio.
![UN Logo in blue on white UN Logo in blue on white](https://neillawsonbaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/un-logo-in-blue-on-white.png)
After the sculpture presentation, and all the speeches were over, we were all treated to a private lunch. I was introduced to Prince Philip, who had generously flown to New York from London specifically for this presentation.
I am writing this on the day after his funeral, some 28 years later, a memorable day, when the nation mourned the loss of this amazing man.
![United Nations Headquarters United Nations Headquarters in New York](https://neillawsonbaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/united-nations-headquarters.jpg)
You may have noticed that I have made another similar work to this one which is called Please Speak to us of Prayer, in the Gibran Sculpture Series. They are similar, but quite distinct. This one, has the palms facing upward, and the other with the palms facing together. I feel both are representative of prayer and I’m proud of them both!