Both works, on offer on November 23 in its sale of Modern and Contemporary Art, were given by the artist to Franck Willmann, who studied art at the l’Académie libre de la Grande Chaumière until 1946, where Sanyo was also a student.
They have passed down by descent to the vendor. Portrait de jeune femme à l’oeil unique, depicts a young woman with a single eye, is painted on hardboard, measures 10in (25cm) square, is signed in Chinese and French lower right and has the manuscript inscription Paris 1946 to the reverse.
The second work is a 10 x 11½in (25 x 29cm) oil on masonite portrait of a woman in profile, signed in French and Chinese upper right and inscribed Paris 1945 to the reverse.
Each painting has an estimate of €15,000-20,000.