I became a son-in-law in the United States

Chapter 40: A Record of Debauchery

Although there weren't many antiques in front of them, each one was exquisite and innovative, clearly carefully selected by the old butler.

The first antique is called "Paganini's Velvet," which is a nice name; it's actually a violin.

It's important to know that Paganini is a legendary figure in the history of the violin, renowned for his unparalleled technique and stage presence; many would call him "the devil."

He owned many instruments throughout his life, but this one was undoubtedly the most special.

This violin was bought by Luther's great-grandfather from a tramp—yes, that tramp was Paganini.

From then on, the violin was displayed as part of the family collection, a memory that Luther cherished.

If you look closely, you can see fragments of his tour posters from back then lining the violin case.

Luther had seen this violin in the music room of the old house when he was a child. The white frost of rosin on the bow strings was described by his great-grandfather as "the mark left by the devil's fingers".

The second antique is a handwritten letter from King Louis XVI's wife.

Although Queen Mary wrote many letters throughout her life, this one was undoubtedly the most special, because it was written the night before she was beheaded.

On the eve of her execution, she secretly wrote one last short letter, sewed it into the lining of her petticoat, and gave it to a court lady who sympathized with her.

The maid fled and went into exile in Vienna. After many twists and turns, she finally delivered the letter to Luther's great-grandfather in 1815.

The letter begins: "To my dear children..."

Because of its missing parts, Luther didn't expect to get a good price for it, but because it involved the French Revolution, the letter wouldn't be cheap either.

Luther opened the boxes one by one and also discovered a miniature portrait of Renzo de' Medici and some musical snuffboxes made in Switzerland.

This private portrait of the Medici was also purchased by Luther's grandfather during his travels in Italy and was kept in Luther's study.

The figure in the portrait has a sharp gaze that seems to glow when light is refracted. The family inscription "L.de M." is hidden behind him and can only be seen under strong light.

Due to the Medici family's unique background, this painting, despite being only 1.5 inches (4 centimeters) long, can still fetch a good price at auction.

As for the musical snuffbox, it was also one of the toys of the nobility in those days. It was produced in the 19th century and was exquisitely crafted.

After a hundred years of accumulation, this stuff has become increasingly rare, and Luther remained optimistic about it due to its scarcity.

Of course, all that has been said is just a prelude.

Of all the antiques sent by the old butler, Luther was most interested in the ones that were wrapped up the most tightly, such as those few erotic items.

Friedrich Dirk's "Lola Montez in a Black Dress," the "Debauchery Catalogue" hidden in the Royal Museums of Naples, and erotic lighters from the Bavarian court, among others.

Each one is more shocking and more extraordinary than the last, undoubtedly a big step forward compared to the previous "Song of the Breasts".

Take a chestnut.

Take, for example, this painting, "Lola Montez in the Black Dress." It was a favorite of Ludwig I, commissioned by him to be painted by a court painter for his mistress. It remained in the Ludwig family's collection until he was forced to abdicate in 1848.

The most striking feature of this painting is the mistress herself. She is dressed in a thin gauze dress, her private parts are faintly visible, and her beautiful long hair hangs down to her waist, blending perfectly with the green chair beneath her.

Luther looked at her; even today, such a beauty would be enough to make one's blood boil.

The saying that emperors would rather love a beautiful woman than rule their kingdoms is indeed true.

During the Prohibition era in the United States, these European courtly romances were the most expensive spice in the social circles of the wealthy.

This artwork contains a turbulent history that changed the fate of a nation.

There is likely a handwritten note on the back of the canvas: "To my dearest Lola, I would gladly lose my crown for you."

Of course, Luther's favorite was this painting, "The Catalogue of Debauchery" from the Royal Museums of the Kingdom of Naples.

The main theme is "wave".

The book contains 41 copperplate prints, and the works in the collection are known for their "magnificent and unrestrained" style. It was once referred to by the Vatican as "The Book of Hell".

However, in Luther's view, it was a masterpiece that was in no way inferior to classical Chinese erotic art. The book makes extensive use of perspective techniques to depict women of this period with lifelike realism, and features 108 different styles, making it an absolute pinnacle of classical erotic art.

These are all the antiques that the old butler sent this time.

Although they weren't particularly valuable items or jewelry, they were relatively rare, and some even had significant meaning, which suited the tastes of wealthy Americans at the time, so Luther was very satisfied.

He left behind "The Catalogue of Debauchery," then packed the other items together. After taking inventory, Luther didn't linger for a moment and immediately went to the Boston Antiques and Art Shop.

Soon, when these figures were placed on the platform and presented to the antique dealer Maurice, even this experienced middle-aged man was stunned.

"Mr. Luther, to be honest, I like Europe, I like its decadent atmosphere."

"Oh my God!"

Morris made no attempt to hide his admiration, grabbing the erotic lighter with one hand and practically staring at it.

It must be admitted that the craftsmanship of the old European artisans was excellent. Even after a hundred years, the enamel gold finish on this lighter is still dazzling.

"My God, these are such irresistible little treasures! Look at the texture, the color, the design—these are the best lighters I've ever seen."

Seeing Maurice's infatuated expression, Luther was speechless. Was this guy just pretending to be serious all along?

After a moment, Maurice calmed down and turned to look at Luther.

"Name your price, Mr. Luther." This time, Morris didn't hesitate much.

"Fifty-five thousand dollars, all of it," Luther said bluntly.

The last incident was still fresh in Luther's mind. He clearly remembered that Maurice had bought "The Song of the Breasts" from him and then resold it for double the price.

It seems I underestimated Morris and the wealthy people of Boston.

So this time, Luther didn't hesitate and made an offer directly.

In his opinion, Paganini's violins should be worth at least eight or nine thousand, Queen Marie Antoinette's handwritten letter should be worth around ten thousand, and Montez's erotic painting should be worth twenty-five thousand because it has Ludwig I's signature and is indeed an erotic painting with details.

Finally, there are the pornographic lighters and some other trinkets, which will add up to about 10,000 yuan, bringing the total price to this.

Of course, Luther kept the "Illustrations of Debauchery" and planned to study it carefully when he got back.

When I was a child, I was too young to understand and didn't know that such benefits existed. Now that the old housekeeper has found them, I can't miss them no matter what.

Surprisingly, this time Morris didn't haggle and readily agreed.

"No problem, Mr. Luther, but I have one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"That means I'll be your distributor, and the only one, how about that?"

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