Xiling Yinshe 2026 Spring Auction Ancient Jade Session: High-Ancient Jades Lead, Market Shows Significant Recovery

Hangzhou, May 18, 2026 – The highly anticipated Xiling Yinshe 2026 Spring Auction concluded successfully yesterday. The 'Jade Resonance and Golden Sound – Ancient Jade and Curiosities Session' performed particularly well, achieving a total transaction value of RMB 185 million, with a remarkable sell-through rate of 89.5%. This represents a 15 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year, indicating a strong recovery in the high-ancient jade market.

A total of 120 exquisite pieces were offered in this ancient jade session, covering various jade artifacts from the Neolithic Age to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Several high-ancient jade pieces became the focus of the entire session, repeatedly setting new records. The most striking item was a 'Neolithic Liangzhu Culture Cong Jade', which, with its magnificent form, exquisite ornamentation, and excellent preservation, was ultimately acquired by an anonymous collector for RMB 38 million. This far exceeded its upper estimate of RMB 25 million, with a premium rate of 52%. Another 'Warring States Period White Jade Dragon-shaped Pendant' also performed well, hammering at RMB 15.8 million, a 58% increase compared to its RMB 10 million estimate. Additionally, a 'Han Dynasty Green Jade Pixiu' sold for RMB 9.2 million, also surpassing its estimated range.

Overall, the average transaction price per item in this ancient jade session reached RMB 1.54 million, an increase of 23.2% from RMB 1.25 million in last year's spring auction. All lots estimated above RMB 5 million were sold, with most achieving high premiums, indicating strong demand in the high-end boutique market. For lots estimated between RMB 1 million and RMB 5 million, the sell-through rate also reached 92%, demonstrating robust support from the mid-to-high-end market.

Market Analysis and Trend Prediction:

The excellent performance of Xiling Yinshe's ancient jade session undoubtedly injected a strong shot in the arm for the currently somewhat sluggish art market. Market analysts generally believe that this indicates a revaluation of the high-ancient jade collecting segment. The main reasons are as follows:

• Scarcity and Cultural Value Highlighted: High-ancient jade artifacts are increasingly recognized for their value due to their ancient age, rarity, and the profound historical and cultural information they carry. With deepening research and growing cultural confidence, the artistic and historical value of high-ancient jade is being re-examined.


• Increased Investment Hedge Properties: Against the backdrop of increasing global economic uncertainty, high-ancient jade, as an asset with tangible value and cultural attributes, is increasingly demonstrating its functions of hedging, preserving, and appreciating value, attracting more high-net-worth individuals.


• Expanding Professional Collector Base: With the convenience of information dissemination and the popularization of professional knowledge, more collectors are delving into the study of high-ancient jade, forming a group of collectors with professional connoisseurship. Their pursuit of exquisite high-ancient jade has driven market prices up.


• Auction House's Boutique Strategy Pays Off: Xiling Yinshe strictly controlled the selection of lots for this auction, ensuring the condition, provenance, and academic value of the items. This boutique strategy effectively boosted buyer confidence and bidding enthusiasm.

Professor Li, a renowned jade appraisal expert and executive director of the Jade Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, stated in an interview: "The success of Xiling Yinshe's ancient jade session in this spring auction, especially the strong performance of the high-ancient jade segment, is a reflection of the market's rational return. Collectors are no longer blindly chasing, but are paying more attention to the cultural connotations, artistic value, and clear provenance of the lots. The high prices achieved by the Liangzhu Cong jade and the Warring States dragon-shaped pendant fully demonstrate the scarcity and irreplaceable nature of top-tier high-ancient jade. It is expected that in the next few years, well-preserved, well-documented high-ancient jade artifacts with clear cultural connotations will continue to be hot commodities in the market, and their value still has room for further appreciation. At the same time, demand for mid-to-low-end common items will stabilize, and collectors should focus more on a boutique strategy."

The success of this spring auction not only brought prestige to Xiling Yinshe but also sent a positive signal to the entire ancient jade market. Industry insiders generally believe that with the gradual stabilization of the economic environment and the increasing maturity of collecting concepts, the ancient jade market is expected to enter a healthier and more sustainable development phase.