【Hong Kong, October 28, 2026】The highly anticipated Sotheby's Autumn 2026 auction concluded successfully yesterday. The “Reverence for Heaven and Love for Humanity: Important Qing Dynasty Jade Carvings” special sale performed exceptionally well, achieving a staggering total of HKD 185 million, significantly exceeding its pre-sale estimate of HKD 120 million. With a remarkable sell-through rate of 92%, this indicates a strong rebound in the high-end jade market.
This special sale featured 120 meticulously selected Qing Dynasty jade carvings, encompassing imperial pieces and scholarly objects from the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang periods. Among them, a “Qianlong Period White Jade Carved Archaic Chi Dragon Motif Double-Handled Covered Vase with Loose Rings” fetched a hammer price of HKD 48 million, reaching HKD 57.6 million with buyer's premium, making it the top lot of the sale. Starting at HKD 25 million, the piece sold for more than double its estimate, highlighting its exceptional artistic value and rarity. Another notable piece, a “Jiaqing Period Pale Celadon Jade Carving of an Elephant with a Vase (Taiping Youxiang)”, also performed strongly, selling for HKD 22 million, an increase of over 120% compared to its HKD 10 million estimate. Overall, the average premium rate for this sale reached 54%, significantly higher than the average for similar sales in the past two years.
Mr. Nicolas Chow, Chairman of Sotheby's Asia, Chinese Art, commented after the auction: “The outstanding performance of this Qing Dynasty jade carving sale fully demonstrates the market's continued pursuit of high-quality, clearly sourced, and well-provenanced Qing Dynasty jade. Especially amidst global economic uncertainties, top-tier artworks, as a hard currency and store of value, are increasingly demonstrating their risk-resistance and investment potential. We observed strong interest from collectors across Greater China, North America, and Europe, with exceptionally fierce bidding.”
Professor Li Ming, a senior jade market analyst, pointed out: “The data from this Sotheby's autumn sale undoubtedly injected a strong shot in the arm for the long-sluggish jade market. High-premium transactions were mostly concentrated in the Qianlong period, especially imperial pieces. Their exquisite craftsmanship, superior jade material, and profound cultural connotations consistently place them at the top of the value chain. Additionally, some scholarly jade carvings with unique themes and historical significance also garnered favor from collectors. This indicates that while pursuing material quality, collectors are increasingly valuing artistry and cultural added value.”
In terms of market trends, the polarization within the Qing Dynasty jade market will become more pronounced in the future. On one hand, well-preserved, well-provenanced, and exquisitely crafted imperial jade carvings, especially masterpieces from the Qianlong period, will continue to see steady price increases. On the other hand, jade pieces of ordinary quality or unknown provenance will likely perform relatively flatly. New collectors entering the market should pay more attention to professional appraisal and provenance verification, avoiding blind speculation. Meanwhile, the popularization of online auctions has also brought new vitality to the jade market, expanding the collector base.
Looking ahead, with the continuous development of the Chinese economy and the enhancement of cultural confidence, Qing Dynasty jade, as a treasure of traditional Chinese culture, still holds immense market potential. The success of this Sotheby's autumn sale undoubtedly lays a solid foundation for the upcoming spring sale, signaling the formation of a more active and healthy jade market.