Sammy Yukuan Lee

Sammy Yukuan Lee (October 14, 1902 – September 9, 2011) was a Chinese–American scholar, collector, author, and dealer of Chinese antiquities. Known internationally for his expertise in lacquerware, ceramics, carpets, furniture, and other traditional art, Lee built a global reputation through decades of commercial activity and scholarship.

Early life Lee was born in Dalaowa village in Zhaoyuan County, Shandong Province, China, the youngest of five sons in a rural farming family. With only a sixth-grade formal education, as a teenager he was sent by his father Lee Quande to Beijing to apprentice in Ji Zhen Xiang, an antique shop owned by a Mr. Teng. There he met David Techun Wang (1905-2005), who became a lifelong business partner.

Career in China and Hong Kong During the 1920s and 1930s, Lee and Wang—rare among their peers in possessing a basic education—taught themselves English, German, and Japanese so they could communicate with foreign clients and expand their antiques business. For example he established an art exhibition in Lempertz Gallery, Cologne, Germany in October 1960 and a large lacquer-art exhibition at the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh in 1964, one of the first of its kind in the world. Catalogue of the Collection of Chinese Lacquer, as Exhibited in the Royal Scottish Museum, 1964. Edinburgh: Royal Scottish Museum, 1964. A Dissertation on Chinese Rugs. Archival lecture manuscript, Jan, 1966. Preliminary Study of Chinese Ceramics in Blue and White (Chʻing Hua). Tokyo: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Natur- und Völkerkunde Ostasiens, 1971. Oriental Lacquer Art. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill for Oriental House Limited, 1972. Art Rugs from Silk Route and Great Wall Areas. Tokyo: Oriental House, 1980. A Study of Sung Underglaze Blue and Red Porcelains. Tokyo: Oriental House, c. 1982. Chugoku Seika Jiki No Genryu: So Gen No Sometsuke. Tokyo: Yuzankaku, 1982. Some Problems of Yuta Yao, Shuidong Yao, Bohai Yao, Tingchou Yao, and Hengfeng Yao. In Scientific and Technological Insights on Ancient Chinese Pottery and Porcelain. Beijing: Science Press, 1986.

Later life Lee became a naturalized U.S. citizen on June 28, 1984. The same foundational also supported programs at museums such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to acquire Chinese lacquer for over 30 years.

In 1996, Lee’s life and achievements were formally recognized by the Hon. David Funderburk in the 104th United States Congress as exemplary of discipline, foresight, and cultural leadership.