【Beijing, November 25, 2026】 The highly anticipated Poly 2026 Autumn Auction concluded successfully yesterday, with the “Treasures of Jade – Important Ancient Jade Session” performing exceptionally well. Achieving an impressive 88% sell-through rate and a total transaction value of RMB 185 million, it injected a strong dose of confidence into this year's art market. The success of this session not only highlights the robust resilience of the ancient jade sector but also indicates that the high-end art market is gradually emerging from its adjustment period and embracing new development opportunities.
This ancient jade session featured a total of 115 lots, encompassing various exquisite jade artifacts from the Neolithic age to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among them, a 'Hongshan Culture Jade Pig Dragon' with an estimated price of RMB 28 million to 35 million was hammered at RMB 42.5 million. Including buyer's premium, the final transaction price reached an astonishing RMB 48.875 million, representing a premium of 53.1% over the lowest estimate, making it the highest-priced lot of the session. Another 'Western Han White Jade Chi Dragon Bi' also sold for RMB 22 million, nearly 20% above its upper estimate. Overall, 15 lots in this session sold for over RMB 5 million, and 32 lots exceeded RMB 1 million, fully demonstrating collectors' fervent pursuit of exquisite ancient jades.
From a data analysis perspective, the sell-through rate of this autumn auction's ancient jade session increased by 13 percentage points compared to the same period last year (75%), and the total transaction value also grew by 25% year-on-year, indicating a significant increase in market activity. Particularly, high-quality, clearly sourced rare ancient jade artifacts performed far beyond market expectations, with some prime pieces even setting new transaction records for similar lots in the past five years. This suggests that, against the backdrop of a gradually stabilizing macro economy, capital is once again flowing into art investment areas with scarcity and cultural value.
Mr. Li Ming, a senior auction industry analyst, pointed out: “The success of Poly's ancient jade session is a concentrated manifestation of market confidence. After two years of adjustment, collectors have a clearer understanding of the value of ancient jades, and their investment strategies are more rational. They are more inclined to choose top-tier lots that possess historical and cultural value, artistic aesthetic value, and market scarcity. The highly premium 'Hongshan Culture Jade Pig Dragon' is a typical example of this trend.”
Professor Wang, Vice President of the China Jade Culture Research Association, also stated: “Ancient jade, as an important carrier of Chinese civilization, possesses irreplaceable cultural connotations and artistic charm. With the nation's emphasis on the revival of traditional culture and the increasing demand for cultural consumption and asset allocation among high-net-worth individuals, the ancient jade market still has immense growth potential. However, at the same time, we should also recognize that the market's requirements for authenticity, condition, and provenance of lots are becoming increasingly stringent. This demands greater rigor from auction houses in selecting lots and encourages collectors to be more professional in their acquisitions.”
Looking ahead, industry insiders generally believe that with the gradual recovery of the global economy and the further standardization of the art market, the ancient jade sector will continue to maintain a steady growth trend. High-quality, rare categories of ancient jade will remain the focus of market pursuit, and their value is expected to continue to climb. Concurrently, with the rise of a new generation of collectors, attention to contemporary jade carving works that combine innovation with traditional aesthetics will also gradually increase, bringing new vitality to the jade market.