BEIJING, May 22, 2026 – The highly anticipated Poly Auction 2026 Spring Sale recently concluded with great success. Among the various categories, the Archaic Jade sector stood out with its exceptional quality and impressive sales figures, marking a significant highlight of the auction. This dedicated sale featured 128 meticulously selected archaic jade pieces, achieving a total turnover of RMB 285 million and an impressive sell-through rate of 88.3%. This performance far exceeded market expectations, indicating a strong rebound in the archaic jade market.

Key Sales Data Highlights:

* Total Turnover: RMB 285 million
* Sell-through Rate: 88.3%
* Highest Price Achieved: A “Late Western Zhou Dynasty Celadon Jade Dragon-Patterned Huang” fetched RMB 48 million, exceeding its high estimate by 30%. This piece, with its regular form, lustrous jade, and exquisite dragon carving, showcased the superb jade craftsmanship of the Western Zhou period, earning it the title of “Jade King” of the sale.
* High Premium Lots: Several high-archaic jade pieces performed exceptionally well. A “Warring States Period White Jade Grain-Patterned Bi” sold for RMB 22 million, 57% above its estimate. Another “Han Dynasty Yellow Jade Auspicious Beast Ornament” achieved RMB 15 million, with a premium rate of 45%.
* Average Unit Price: Approximately RMB 2.5 million, representing a 15% increase compared to the same period last year.

Market Analysis and Trend Forecast:

The outstanding performance of Poly Auction's archaic jade sector undoubtedly injected a strong dose of confidence into the currently somewhat subdued art market. Mr. Li Ming, a senior market analyst, pointed out: “The success of this auction is primarily attributed to Poly's rigorous selection process and academic curation of the lots. High-quality archaic jades with clear provenance and documented history consistently remain the focus of collectors, regardless of market fluctuations.”

From the sales data, high-archaic jades (from the Warring States to the Han Dynasty) continue to be the core driving force of the market. Their unique historical value, cultural connotations, and scarcity give them an irreplaceable position among high-end collectors. Notably, jades from the Western Zhou to Spring and Autumn periods also showed strong growth potential, especially those with distinct period characteristics and exquisite patterns, which were highly sought after by collectors.

On the other hand, while Ming and Qing dynasty jades had a larger transaction volume, their overall price increase was relatively stable, indicating an increasing market preference for exquisite and distinctive pieces. Ordinary Ming and Qing jades have limited price appreciation potential, requiring collectors to be more cautious in their selection.

Expert Commentary and Market Insights:

Professor Wang, a renowned jade appraisal expert, stated in an interview: “The auction results fully demonstrate the strong demand for authentic, exquisite, and rare archaic jades in the market. Collectors are increasingly focusing on the cultural, artistic, and historical value of jade, rather than just the material itself. Especially those pieces with clear dating evidence and academic research value have immense future appreciation potential.”

An anonymous senior collector commented: “I have followed the archaic jade market for many years, and this Poly Spring Sale has shown me that market confidence is recovering. The prices achieved for several high-archaic jades exceeded my expectations, indicating that top collectors are still strongly willing to invest in fine archaic jades and are prepared to pay higher premiums for scarcity.”

Looking ahead, with the gradual stabilization of the economic situation and the continuous enhancement of cultural confidence, the archaic jade market is expected to maintain steady growth. However, market polarization will become more pronounced, with the value of exquisite archaic jades continuing to rise, while ordinary or questionable pieces face greater market pressure. For collectors, in-depth research, careful selection, and attention to provenance and condition remain the golden rules for investing in archaic jades.