21/09/2026
🌎🕊️Discovering the UN Geneva art collection: “The Blue Planet of Life”
Standing on its base at 210 cm high, this impressive porcelain vase was created by Japanese ceramic artist Yasuhiko Shirakata and is titled “The Blue Planet of Life.”
Presented by the Government of Japan in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, this remarkable artwork carries a powerful message: the importance of peace, unity, and protecting our shared planet.
Born in 1939 in Tobe, Japan, Yasuhiko Shirakata comes from a region renowned for its traditional Tobe-yaki pottery, a craft with more than 210 years of history.
Characterized by deep indigo-blue patterns on a white glazed background, Tobe-yaki reflects the beauty and simplicity of Japanese folk ceramics.
The vase takes the form of a globe, representing the Earth as seen from space: a planet without borders, shared by all humanity. As the artist expressed:
"Our duty is to understand that Earth is the only 'planet of life' and never to forget its priceless value."
The creation of this piece also involved children from schools representing regions around the world, highlighting a collective hope for future generations. Ceramic plaques on the vase carry a message in Japanese, French, and English:
"The blue planet of human life. This porcelain globe was designed and crafted in the Tobe style with the hope of preserving peace on Earth and the irreplaceable planet of humankind."
A beautiful reminder from the UN Geneva art collection that, despite our differences, we all share one home: the blue planet we call Earth. 🌍
