Beijing, May 20, 2026 – The highly anticipated Poly 2026 Spring Auction recently concluded successfully, with the “Splendid Jade – Important Archaic Jade and Ancient Jade Treasures” special session performing exceptionally well. The total sales reached RMB 185 million, with a remarkable sell-through rate of 88.5%, significantly exceeding market expectations. The success of this session not only demonstrated the strong inherent resilience of the archaic jade market but also injected a much-needed boost of confidence into the long-sluggish art market.
A total of 120 exquisite lots were presented in this session, covering various ancient jade wares from the Neolithic period to the Han Dynasty, including several museum-quality masterpieces. The most striking item was an “Early Western Zhou Celadon Jade Dragon-shaped Pendant,” which hammered for RMB 38 million, reaching a final price of RMB 43.7 million including buyer's premium. This represents a premium of 74.8% over its upper estimate (RMB 25 million) and sets a new record for Western Zhou jade ware auctions in the past five years. Another notable piece, a “Late Warring States White Jade Grain-patterned Bi Disc,” sold for RMB 22 million, an increase of 57.1% over its estimate. Overall, 15 lots in this session sold for over RMB 5 million, and 35 lots sold for over RMB 1 million, demonstrating strong purchasing power in the high-end market for exquisite items.
Data analysis reveals several significant characteristics of this auction. Firstly, high-quality archaic jade wares with clear provenance and excellent condition continue to be the focus of market pursuit, with their prices far exceeding those of ordinary lots. Secondly, collectors showed greater enthusiasm for jade wares with clear historical and cultural value and academic research significance. For example, a “Hongshan Culture Jade Pig Dragon,” documented in multiple authoritative jade catalogs, sold for RMB 15 million, with its academic value adding a significant market premium. Thirdly, the interest of younger generation collectors in ancient jade is gradually increasing. They pay more attention to the artistic quality, cultural connotation, and enjoyment of handling jade, which brings new vitality to the ancient jade market.
Mr. Zhang, General Manager of Poly Auction's Antiquities and Curios Department, stated in an interview: “The success of this archaic jade session is the result of multiple factors working together. On one hand, we meticulously selected a batch of rare and exceptionally high-quality masterpieces; on the other hand, the gradual global economic recovery, coupled with the safe-haven attribute of art as an asset allocation, has led more capital to flow back into the high-end art market. Particularly, archaic jade, with its non-renewable nature and profound cultural heritage, has become an extremely promising investment target.”
Professor Li, Vice President of the China Jade Culture Research Association and a renowned jade appraisal expert, also commented: “The results of this auction fully demonstrate the return of value for archaic jade. After several years of market adjustment, collectors have become more rational, focusing more on authenticity, rarity, and excellence. Those ancient jade wares with clear provenance, exquisite craftsmanship, and rich cultural connotations will always be hard currency, regardless of market fluctuations. We expect that in the next few years, the archaic jade market will continue to maintain steady growth, especially for exquisite jade wares from the Neolithic period and the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, whose value still has huge room for appreciation.”
Looking ahead, with the continuous strengthening of China's traditional cultural confidence and the popularization of more academic research achievements, the collecting community for ancient jade wares will further expand. Market analysts generally believe that the success of Poly's spring auction signals a recovery in overall art market confidence, particularly in the antiquities and curios sector, which is expected to usher in a new round of development opportunities in the near future. However, experts also remind collectors to remain cautious when investing in ancient jade, focusing on professional appraisal and avoiding blind speculation to ensure the quality and value of their collections.