SAN FRANCISCO—The M.H. de Young Memorial Museum's esteemed Jolika Collection of art from Papua New Guinea has become the subject of a family inheritance feud, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

John Friede, a de Young trustee, promised the 4,000-piece collection to the museum in a series of deals from 2003 to 2007, but this week, a Florida probate court ordered him to hand over some of the artwork to his brothers, Robert Friede and Thomas Jaffe. The judge ruled that the brothers could sell up to $20 million worth of art as part of the settlement, although they are forbidden from doing so before December 20 so that ownership claims can be resolved.

Friede says he has no plans to give his brothers any of the art, and at the request of San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrera, a San Francisco judge issued an order last week contradicting the Florida court and saying that the artwork should remain where it is. A hearing in the San Francisco case is scheduled for October 6.

The collection is embroiled in an inheritance battle that began after the death of the brothers' mother, Evelyn A.J. Hall. Friede agreed to pay his brothers a combined $30 million to settle the dispute, and when the brothers demanded collateral, he promised the art. He says now that that the offer was a temporary measure, never meant to involve any sale or transfer of actual works.

Most, if not all, of the $30 million will come from his share of his mother's estate, which includes Picasso and Gauguin paintings, Friede says; however, the money is not accessible until the Internal Revenue Service makes a determination on the inheritance tax and that amount is paid.

"The liens to the brothers are simply a guarantee that they will get this money, which I have every intention to pay," he said. "I just don't have access to it until I get this IRS settlement."

Starting in 2003, John Friede and his wife Marcia promised to give the de Young rotating selections from the Jolika Collection. Later, they increased the loan amounts to about 400 pieces and transferred ownership of at least 142 of those to the museum. In October, they promised the rest of the collection to the museum, planning to give away pieces over the course of several years. The new de Young museum, which opened in Golden Gate Park in 2005, was built with a special wing for the collection.

San Francisco officials argue that Friede's brothers are not entitled to any of the art, because the collection is not Friede's to give anymore. "The entirety of the collection, none of it is owned by John Friede and Marcia Friede. It's owned by the museum," said Donald Margolis, San Francisco deputy city attorney.