President of Finland Presents Sculpture to United Nations

President Mauno Koivisto of Finland this morning presented to the United Nations a stainless-steel sculpture celebrating the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The gift was accepted by Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar at a brief ceremony on the east side of the Visitors' Plaza where the sculpture is located. Somewhat resembling organ pipes, the sculpture - which weighs about 400 kilograms and stands over four-and-a-half meters - was executed by Eila Hiltunen. The sculptress, who was born in 1922 and has held numerous exhibits in Finland and abroad, has attributed the work to her lifelong love of the music of Sibelius.
President Mauno Koivisto making the presentation. Seen in the front row near the rostrum are, from left, Eila Hiltunen, Mrs. Javier Perez de Cuellar, Mrs. Mauno Koivisto, General Assembly President Jorge E. Illueca (Panama), Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and UN Protocol Chief Aly Teymour.