By Richard Brewster, on 12-May-2015

Erotic Japanese netsuke figurines, part of a contentious indecency court case in the 1980s, will be auctioned from noon Sunday May 17 by Philips Auctions at 47 Glenferrie Road, Toorak.

The figures belonged to the late Bonnie Knight, who died recently aged 84, and are being sold by the family as part of her collection.

Erotic Japanese netsuke figurines, part of a contentious indecency court case in the 1980s, will be auctioned from noon Sunday May 17 by Philips Auctions at 47 Glenferrie Road, Toorak. The figures belonged to the late Bonnie Knight, who died recently aged 84, and are being sold by the family as part of her collection.

Erotic Japanese netsuke figurines, part of a contentious indecency court case in the 1980s, will be auctioned from noon Sunday May 17 by Philips Auctions at 47 Glenferrie Road, Toorak. The figures belonged to the late Bonnie Knight, who died recently aged 84, and are being sold by the family as part of her collection.

Bonnie, who had been collecting artefacts and jewellery since she was a teenager, viewed netsukes (be they wood, stone or ivory) as her favourite items.

The particular figurines in question, showing a couple making love, had been part of a 1980s Erotica in Ivory exhibition at the former Jade Gallery in the Southern Cross Centre, demolished in 1999.

The gallery was owned by Dr Albert Cymons, who appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court at the time to defend a charge of displaying indecent figures in a public place.

The figurines are made of ivory and part of a tradition of miniature ivory carving dating back to the 14th century Japan.

Despite the erotic nature of the figurines, the magistrate Raffaele Barberio dismissed the case saying he had come to the conclusion that although “an eyebrow may be raised” he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt they were offensive.

Bonnie bought the netsuke figurines from the Jade Gallery once the case had been settled.

A German bedroom suite made for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition (held at the newly constructed Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton) and subsequently owned by Melbourne’s Lord Mayor will be among a range of quality furniture with interesting provenances. 

The current vendor is unsure whether the furniture belonged to Melbourne’s first Lord Mayor Sir Samuel Gillott or an earlier mayor George Meares who served on the exhibition’s executive – despite having tracked down an exhibition catalogue from the time.

The furniture comprises an armoire, two marble topped bedside cabinets, dressing table, washstand, rosewood china cabinet and grand extension table.

The vendor’s collection also contains a custom made overmantel for a Dr Lowes surgery in the late 19th century.

The second lot of interesting furniture (a sideboard, table and 10 chairs) comes from Lipshut House in Kooyong Road, Toorak.

Built in 1958 for the Lipshut family, the house was designed by Edward Billson and Partners involving two generations of the family – Edward Fielder Billson (1892-1986), the eminent ‘Melbourne Prairie School’ architect and former assistant to Walter Burley Griffin, and his son the newly qualified Ted Billson, who also undertook the house’s structural engineering.

About The Author

Richard Brewster has been writing about the antiques and art auction industry for almost 20 years, first in a regular weekly column for Fairfax's The Age newspaper and also in more recent times for his own website Australian Auction Review. With 45 years experience as a journalist and public relations consultant, in 1990 Richard established his own business Brewster & Associates in Melbourne, handling a wide range of clients in the building, financial, antiques and art auction industries.