Yu Sanyu (1901–1966)
Yu Sanyu is a Chinese artist with 14 auction lots recorded since 2009, median price $112,062. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.
A work by Yu Sanyu sold in 2020 for $164,776, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.
See the full Yu Sanyu record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
View Yu Sanyu on OpeningBid →What is a Yu Sanyu work worth?
Across 12 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Yu Sanyu work is $112,062.
The median Yu Sanyu work on paper sells for $88,554 across 7 lots.
The median Yu Sanyu painting sells for $6,657,866 across 4 lots.
Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
Price breakdown by category
| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 4 | $6.7M | $81.9M | — | 2015-05-30 |
| Works on Paper | 9 | $88,554†‡ | $164,776 | 77.8% | 2025-06-07 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 7 | $3.2M | $81.9M | — | 2020-06-03 |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.
Price by size
Works on Paper
| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 6 | $27,413–$112,062†‡ | $100,308†‡ | $164,776 |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.
Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.
Notable results
| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 2015 | $81.9M |
| Paintings | 2014 | $7.2M |
| Works on Paper | 2020 | $164,776 |
| Works on Paper | 2013 | $112,062 |
The highest recorded result in each medium. See the full sale history on OpeningBid.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Yu Sanyu worth?
Across 12 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Yu Sanyu work is $112,062. The median Yu Sanyu work on paper sells for $88,554 across 7 lots. The median Yu Sanyu painting sells for $6,657,866 across 4 lots. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is Yu Sanyu's auction record?
Yu Sanyu's auction record is $81,880,000, set in 2015.
See the full Yu Sanyu record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
View Yu Sanyu on OpeningBid →