> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/yu-sanyu · updated 2026-11-01

# 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.

## 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. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up).

## 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.

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Data last updated 2026-11-01. OpeningBid tracks 15,222,099 auction lots from 571 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Yu Sanyu auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/yu-sanyu (updated 2026-11-01).

Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.