【Hangzhou, May 18, 2026】The highly anticipated Xiling Yinshe 2026 Spring Auction concluded successfully yesterday. This spring auction continued Xiling Yinshe's consistent focus on high-quality items, with the 'Scholar's Objects - Jade and Stone' special session performing particularly well. The total transaction value reached RMB 128 million, with a high sell-through rate of 89.5%, fully demonstrating the resilience and vitality of the high-end jade scholar's objects market.

This special session featured 120 meticulously selected lots, covering various materials such as Hetian jade, jadeite, and Shoushan stone, including brush pots, paperweights, seals, and hand-held pieces. Among them, a Qianlong period white jade carved 'Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove' poetic brush pot fetched the top price of RMB 28 million, significantly exceeding its pre-auction estimate (RMB 18-22 million), with a premium rate of 27.27%. The brush pot's jade was warm and delicate, with exquisite carving and profound poetic inscriptions, making it a quintessential example of court jade carving during the Qianlong era. Another mid-Qing period Hetian jade seed material 'Fu Shou Shuang Quan' (Blessings and Longevity) mythical beast knob seal sold for RMB 15 million, a 50% increase from its RMB 10 million estimate, indicating the market's continued strong demand for high-quality seed material seals.

Furthermore, a series of jadeite hand-held pieces titled 'Sound of Mountains and Rivers' created by contemporary jade carving master Wu Desheng, sold for a total of RMB 8.5 million, an increase of 41.67% from its RMB 6 million estimate. This indicates that the market recognition for contemporary master jade carving works is gradually increasing, with buyers not only focusing on the material but also on artistic merit and the master's influence.

Mr. Lu Jingqing, Executive Director and General Manager of Xiling Yinshe Auction Co., Ltd., stated in an interview: "The success of this spring auction's jade scholar's objects session once again confirms the profound heritage of the Chinese traditional cultural art market. We observe that collectors' demand for high-quality jade scholar's objects with clear provenance, excellent condition, and exquisite craftsmanship remains strong. Especially for items with historical, cultural, and artistic collection value, their price performance far exceeds the market average."

Market Analysis and Trend Prediction:

  • Boutique Strategy Pays Off: The auction results show that the market demand for high-quality, rare jade scholar's objects remains robust. Collectors are more inclined to invest in 'hard currency' with clear historical lineage, exquisite craftsmanship, and superior materials, rather than blindly pursuing quantity.


  • Hetian Jade Seed Material Continues to Lead: Hetian jade seed material, especially high-whiteness, flawless, and naturally colored exquisite pieces, continues to rise in market value. Against the backdrop of increased economic uncertainty, Hetian jade seed material, as an asset with both cultural attributes and value preservation/appreciation functions, its safe-haven properties are becoming increasingly prominent.


  • Master's Influence Shines: The market performance of contemporary jade carving masters' works is active, and their artistic value and brand effect are being recognized by more collectors. This suggests that the future jade carving market will pay more attention to the artist's creative philosophy and the uniqueness of their works.


  • Scholar's Objects Remain Popular: With the revival of traditional culture, scholar's objects, as important carriers connecting ancient aesthetic life, are attracting an expanding collector base. Brush pots, paperweights, and seals are not only practical items but also artworks embodying cultural taste.


Professor Zhang Hua, a renowned jade appraisal expert and Vice President of the China Gem & Jade Association, commented: "The performance of Xiling Yinshe's jade scholar's objects session in this spring auction has injected a strong boost into the currently somewhat volatile art market. Without exception, the high-priced lots all possessed the characteristics of 'authenticity, exquisiteness, and rarity.' For collectors, when investing in jade scholar's objects, they should pay more attention to their cultural connotations, artistic value, and rarity, rather than just the material itself. In the future, jade scholar's objects with unique cultural stories and exquisite craftsmanship will have more significant appreciation potential."

Looking ahead, the jade scholar's objects market will continue to show a polarized trend: high-end exquisite pieces will see steady price increases, even setting new records; while ordinary items and those lacking distinctive features or average craftsmanship will face greater market pressure. Collectors should choose carefully and invest rationally.