The scholar Wen Tsan Yu’s collection was sold at Kaminski in Massachusetts last month where the Qi Bashi paintings made stellar prices:
Five 20th century Chinese paintings by Qi Bashi sold at Kaminski’s March Fine Asian Art and Antique Sale for a $2.3 million dollars. All five paintings were 20th century scroll paintings of ink and color on paper, signed and sealed Qi Bashi and dedicated by the artist to “Yu San,” Wen Tsan Yu with the collector’s personal seal.
Wen Tsan Yu was raised in China and later became a professor at Peking University. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1916 with a Ph.B, and from Harvard University in 1919 with a LL.B. The family’s maternal great grandfather was Moy Toy Ni, (Charlie Toy) who came to the United States in the late 1800s and settled in Milwaukee. He was widely known as “Chinese Rockefeller” in the early 20th century. Paintings in this collection had been in the family for over 50 years.
Kaminski sells Chinese art collection for $2.6M (Live Auctioneers)
