16 AUGUST 2026
Lee Kuan Yew's Montblanc Pen Sells for S$461,500 at Hotlotz Auction
Chua Mia Tee Painting Also Sets New Auction Record at Same Sale
SINGAPORE, 16 August 2026 – A silver Montblanc Meisterstuck fountain pen once owned by Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding Prime Minister, sold for S$461,500 inclusive of buyer’s premium after 111 bids at Hotlotz's ‘Interiors & Collectibles - August, Fine Art Focus’ auction.
Engraved “SM Lee Kuan Yew” from his years as Senior Minister, the pen was previously sold for S$52,000 at “The Lee Kuan Yew Family Collection” charity auction in July 2003. The sterling silver Meisterstuck No. 146, with gold-tone highlights and an 18K gold nib, carried a pre-sale estimate of S$30,000 to S$50,000.
Lee Kuan Yew served as Singapore's founding Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990, before continuing as Senior Minister until 2004.
A Chua Mia Tee painting from the same sale, “Singapore Chinatown, Temple Street” (1976), sold for S$107,900 inclusive of buyer's premium, setting a new auction record for the Singaporean artist. The work drew 58 bids.
The painting carried a pre-sale estimate of S$20,000 to S$30,000, with bidding opening at S$18,000. It surpasses Chua Mia Tee's previous auction record of S$97,600 inclusive of buyer's premium, set on 14 January 2023 for his 2003 work “Prosperity.”
A stoneware pottery vase by Dr Iskandar Jalil, the Singaporean ceramicist and Culture Medallion recipient sold for S$12,350 inclusive of buyer’s premium. The item drew 25 bids at the same sale. The price was more than double the high end of its S$2,500 to S$4,000 estimate. Dr Iskandar was conferred the Distinguished Service Order on National Day (9 August 2026).
LOT 51 – A MONTBLANC MEISTERSTUCK NO. 146 FOUNTAIN PEN BELONGING TO LEE KUAN YEW
Hammer price: S$355,000
Price incl. buyer’s premium: S$461,500
LOT 57 – CHUA MIA TEE (SINGAPOREAN, 1931-2026) – ‘SINGAPORE CHINATOWN, TEMPLE STREET’
Hammer price: S$83,000
Price incl. buyer’s premium: S$107,900
LOT 102 – DR ISKANDAR JALIL (SINGAPOREAN, B. 1940) – POTTERY VASE
Hammer price: S$9,500
Price incl. buyer’s premium: S$12,350
Visuals
About Hotlotz
Hotlotz is Singapore's leading auction house, conducting over 50 internationally marketed online auctions a year across categories that include Fine Art, Jewellery & Watches, Asian Works of Art, Peranakan Works of Art, Luxury Handbags, Fine Wine, and Collectibles. Founded in 2015, registered with the Ministry of Law and licensed by the Singapore Police Force, Hotlotz works with private collectors, estates, and professional services firms to conduct sales that require the highest standards of professionalism, transparency and accountability.
For press enquiries, please contact Michele Batchelor at micheleb@hotlotz.com.
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