Beijing Council International 2026 Autumn Auction: Jade Carving Art Market Recovers, High-End Masterpieces Achieve Remarkable Results

Beijing, November 20, 2026 – The highly anticipated Beijing Council International 2026 Autumn Art Auction concluded successfully yesterday. As the highlight of this auction, the jade carving art specialized session performed exceptionally well. Not only did the total transaction volume reach a new high in the past three years, but several high-end masterpieces were also sold at prices far exceeding their estimates, demonstrating the strong demand and renewed confidence in high-quality jade carving artworks in the market.

The jade carving art session featured a total of 120 lots, covering various categories from ancient jade and Ming and Qing dynasty jade to contemporary jade masterworks. Ultimately, the total transaction volume for this session reached RMB 285 million, with a remarkable sell-through rate of 88.3%. Compared to the RMB 210 million transaction volume in the 2025 autumn auction, this represents a year-on-year increase of 35.7%, indicating a strong market recovery.

Among them, the most eye-catching was a Qianlong period 'White Jade Carving of Immortals Celebrating Longevity Mountain' from the Qing Dynasty. This lot was hammered at RMB 68 million, far exceeding its previous estimated range of RMB 35 million to RMB 45 million, with a premium rate of 94.3%. Another piece, a 'Bi Jade Carving of Lotus Pond Serenity' created by contemporary jade carving master Wang Jianping, sold for RMB 18.5 million, setting a new auction record for the artist's work. In addition, a 'Celadon Jade Dragon Pattern璜 (Huang)' from the Warring States period also sold for RMB 12 million, once again proving the unshakable position of ancient jade in the collecting world.

Mr. Zhang Ming, Deputy General Manager and Head of the Jade Department at Council International Auction House, stated in an interview: "The success of this autumn auction's jade carving session is mainly due to two aspects. Firstly, our strict selection standards for lots ensure that each piece possesses extremely high artistic and collection value; secondly, the gradual recovery of market confidence, especially among seasoned collectors who have long focused on jade carving art, who are now actively entering the market to seek rare masterpieces amidst a stable economic environment."

Market Analysis and Trend Prediction:

_The results of this autumn auction clearly convey several market signals:_

• Strong Performance in High-End Masterpiece Market: The market shows extremely strong enthusiasm for jade carving artworks with intact condition, clear provenance, and exquisite craftsmanship, especially representative works by historical masters or contemporary masters. These lots often exceed estimates and become market indicators.


• Emphasis on Both Material and Craftsmanship: Traditional Hetian white jade remains the market mainstream, but high-quality bi jade, ink jade, and others are also gradually gaining attention. At the same time, exquisite carving techniques and unique artistic styles are key factors determining their value, rather than solely relying on the material itself.


• Huge Potential in Contemporary Jade Carving Market: The outstanding performance of contemporary jade masterworks in this auction indicates that contemporary jade carving art is gradually gaining market recognition. With the entry of more young collectors and continuous innovation by artists, contemporary jade carving is expected to become a growth point in the future market.


• Increased Investment Attributes: Against the backdrop of increasing global economic uncertainty, jade carving artworks, as hard assets with cultural heritage and scarcity, are increasingly demonstrating their investment and value-preservation attributes, attracting allocation demand from some high-net-worth individuals.

Li Huaqiang, a renowned jade appraisal expert and professor at the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, pointed out: "The performance of jade carvings in Council International's autumn auction is a microcosm of the overall art market recovery. The value of high-quality jade carving artworks lies not only in their rarity but also in the cultural connotations and historical information they carry. Collectors are advised that when investing, in addition to focusing on material and craftsmanship, they should also pay attention to the cultural heritage of the work and the artist's creative philosophy, to avoid blindly following trends. In the next few years, the jade carving market will show a polarized trend, meaning high-end masterpieces will continue to rise, while general items will face greater market pressure."

Looking ahead, with the enhancement of China's traditional cultural confidence and the increased professionalism of collectors, the jade carving art market is expected to continue to maintain steady growth, especially for those masterpieces with unique artistic styles and profound cultural connotations, whose market value will continue to be explored and recognized.