101 World-Class Masterpieces

I see the sincerity in Chairman Wang’s desire to collaborate. Since he has offered such favorable terms, I must also show my goodwill. I will organize everything today, and Mr. Lu, you can contact Chairman Wang right away so he can send someone over to receive the items tomorrow.” Given that this is a win-win cooperation and the other party has made the greatest concession, Xiao Yao is very optimistic and takes this partnership seriously.

“Once I return, I will call Chairman Wang immediately and have him arrange for the relevant personnel to come as soon as possible.” Lu Yahang wasn’t particularly concerned with the immediate profits from the collaboration. What mattered more to him was that this partnership would finally establish a closer connection with Xiao Yao.

After seeing Lu Yahang off, Xiao Yao turned to consider which items to consign for auction.

To raise the enormous sum of 10.5 billion needed to repay the bank, merely putting ordinary antiques or artworks up for auction would be a drop in the ocean and hardly make a dent.

He couldn’t possibly auction off too many collectibles at once, so it was best to choose a few world-class, high-value masterpieces.

Xiao Yao had a vast and varied collection at his disposal. After a moment’s thought, he quickly selected four priceless, world-class antique artworks for auction.

Since Lu Yahang had specifically mentioned that the items were to be consigned for the Autumn Auction at the Art Charm Island, Xiao Yao chose four Western artifacts.

Among Panwu’s collection, the top-tier antiques were mostly domestic relics spanning various dynasties.

However, many precious domestic artifacts were forbidden from leaving the country. To avoid complications, he decided it was more appropriate to choose Western artifacts.

The first item he prepared for auction was a gem-embossed glass vase, which he personally named the “Vase of the Goddess of Love.”

Though the name sounded simple, those familiar with Western artifacts would recognize the celebrated Portland Vase immediately.

The famous Portland Vase is precisely a gem-embossed glass vase.

This type of vase is an ancient Roman creation from around the 1st century AD, made of deep blue glass adorned with white patterns. The example housed in the British Museum once belonged to the Duke of Portland in the 18th century, hence its name.

Today, only one such masterpiece survives—the Portland Vase, which was restored after being broken and is now kept in the British Museum.

The Portland Vase was crafted using an ancient technique called “gem-embossed glass.” This method borrowed from gemstone carving: a freshly made, still-warm deep-colored glass vessel was dipped into molten white glass to create a light outer layer. Once cooled, the excess white glass on the surface was carefully removed, revealing the dark base color beneath and forming raised relief patterns.

Though glassware is commonplace now, the fact that such exquisite craftsmanship existed as early as the Roman era—about two thousand years ago—is astonishing.

Today, the Portland Vase is universally recognized as the finest surviving example of ancient Roman gem glass, admired for its superb craftsmanship and exquisite relief artistry.

If not for Panwu’s collection, the Portland Vase would indeed be unrivaled.

Yet, within Panwu’s collection, there were many similar vases from the Roman era, with at least ten other masterpieces.

Xiao Yao selected one vase embossed with a bathing scene of the Garden of the Goddess of Love.

The relief artistry on this vase rivals that of the Portland Vase, and the entire piece is remarkably intact, free of any flaws or cracks.

This exquisite vase, crafted two millennia ago, possesses staggering artistic merit and immeasurable cultural significance.

The Portland Vase is a prized treasure of the British Museum, and Xiao Yao is confident that once his “Vase of the Goddess of Love” is publicized, it will shock the world.

He cannot even begin to estimate the auction price it might fetch; to call it priceless would be no exaggeration.

The second item he chose was a bronze statue of the Discobolus—the Discus Thrower.

The Discobolus was sculpted by the Greek artist Myron around 450 BC. The original is lost, and surviving versions are replicas, mostly carved in marble.

Xiao Yao chose to auction one of these because, first, the work is world-famous and universally recognized; second, there are four bronze versions in the collection, so parting with one was not difficult.

Given the great age of the piece, Xiao Yao has no way of knowing how many versions were originally made. That Panwu’s collection holds four suggests at least that many were created.

The existence of multiple copies likely relates to the societal demands of ancient Greece.

In ancient Greek society, martial valor was highly esteemed. City-states took pride in their citizens’ prowess in war, emphasizing physical training and celebrating athletic competition and the ideal of a well-formed body. Athletic contests were frequent, and every four years a grand Panhellenic festival was held at Olympia, where only physically fit, nude men competed.

Today’s Olympic Games are the direct descendants of this tradition.

Winners at these ancient games were regarded as favored by the gods, receiving unmatched honor and widespread adulation. Sculptors were commissioned to create statues commemorating these victors, who were revered almost as deities, becoming exemplars to be admired and emulated.

The Discobolus statue was made as a commemorative likeness for a victorious athlete at Olympia.

Such statues were often made in multiple copies to meet various demands, so it is not surprising that Panwu’s collection includes four bronze Discoboli.

In fact, Panwu’s holdings of Myron’s work extend beyond the Discobolus, totaling twenty-three pieces.

Another famous Myron work in the collection is the bronze statue of “Dalas, the Long-Distance Running Champion,” of which there are two copies.

This piece captures an athlete mid-stride with remarkable lifelikeness—you can almost hear his breath. It too is of exceptional artistic quality and is documented in many historical texts, yet except for Panwu’s copies, it has long been lost to the world.