【Beijing, May 18, 2026】Poly Auction's 2026 Spring Art Auction concluded successfully today, with the highly anticipated “Jin Yu Cui – Important Ancient Jadeware Session” performing exceptionally well. The total transaction volume reached RMB 185 million, with a remarkable sell-through rate of 88.5%, significantly exceeding market expectations and injecting a strong boost into the currently somewhat subdued art market.
The session featured 85 carefully selected ancient jade pieces, covering various rare jade artifacts from the Neolithic Age to the Han Dynasty. Among them, an 'Early Western Zhou Celadon Jade Dragon-shaped Pendant' became the highlight of the session due to its exquisite craftsmanship, perfect condition, and rarity. After multiple rounds of fierce bidding, it was finally hammered at RMB 38 million, a 90% premium over its estimated price of RMB 20 million, setting a new auction record for Western Zhou jadeware in recent years. In addition, a 'Late Warring States Period White Jade Grain-patterned Bi' also sold for a high price of RMB 22 million, with an increase of 75%, demonstrating the market's continued pursuit of exquisite Warring States jadeware.
From the overall data, the average transaction price of this session was RMB 2.176 million, an increase of 15% compared to similar sessions in the same period last year. All items with an estimated price above RMB 5 million were sold, and the average premium rate reached 45%, indicating that high-end collectors' investment enthusiasm for high-quality ancient jade remains undiminished. For items with an estimated price between RMB 1 million and RMB 5 million, the sell-through rate also reached 92%, showing that the mid-range market also favors ancient jade with historical and cultural value.
Mr. Zhang Ming, a senior auction industry analyst, pointed out: “The success of Poly Auction's ancient jade session in this spring sale is not accidental. On the one hand, with the gradual recovery of the global economy, the asset allocation needs of high-net-worth individuals have increased, highlighting the value of art as a hard currency. On the other hand, Poly Auction strictly controlled the collection of items, ensuring their rarity, completeness, and clear provenance, which greatly enhanced collectors' confidence. Especially ancient jade, with its unique historical and cultural value and irreplaceability, has become a recognized 'potential stock' in the collecting world.”
Professor Li Hua, Vice President of the China Jade Culture Research Association, also stated: “The market value of ancient jade is being re-evaluated. With the deepening of academic research and the enhancement of public awareness of traditional culture, the artistic aesthetics and historical significance of ancient jade are becoming increasingly prominent. In this auction, some items with clear excavation information or provenance generally sold at higher prices than similar items without clear origins, which reflects collectors' pursuit of 'authenticity, exquisiteness, and rarity' and also indicates that the future ancient jade market will pay more attention to the academic value and clear provenance of items.”
Looking ahead, the market generally believes that driven by exquisite ancient jade, the entire ancient jade collection market will usher in a new wave of growth. The success of Poly Auction's spring sale undoubtedly laid a good foundation for the upcoming autumn sale and injected positive signals into the entire art market. It is expected that the ancient jade market will show a steady upward trend in the next few years, especially those rare categories with unique historical backgrounds, exquisite craftsmanship, and good provenance, whose value will continue to rise.