Description
Scarce 1969 Vorpal Galleries art card / folder cover featuring Ron Boise’s steel sculpture “Caress of the Jaghana,” photographed by Suzanne Robba. Published by Vorpal Galleries of San Francisco, this piece is tied directly to the famous California v. Elder obscenity trial involving Boise’s Kama Sutra sculpture series and the seizure of works from the Vorpal Gallery.
The printed reverse makes this much more than a simple art card. It discusses the trial, the jury’s not guilty verdict, and the defense of the work as serious artistic expression. It also references several major figures connected to art, law, and free expression, including Muldoon Elder, Walter Horn, Alan Watts, Ephraim Margolin, Marshall Krause, and Judge Clayton Horn.
Key points:
* Original 1969 Vorpal Galleries issue, marked 50 V 101
* Features Ron Boise’s “Caress of the Jaghana,” a steel sculpture from his Kama Sutra series
* Photograph credited to Suzanne Robba
* Important San Francisco counterculture and free-expression ephemera
* Printed back text documents the obscenity-trial context and expert defense testimony
* Strong crossover interest for collectors of Beat-era ephemera, modern sculpture, censorship history, ACLU-related legal history, and San Francisco art
Condition is consistent with age, with light toning, minor surface wear, small spots, and edge/corner wear. The image and printed text remain highly displayable and historically compelling. Please view all photos.
