BEIJING, May 18, 2026 – Poly Auction's 2026 Spring Art Auction concluded successfully today. The highly anticipated 'Jijin Yicui – Important Ancient Jadeware Session' performed exceptionally well, achieving a total turnover of RMB 185 million, with a remarkable sell-through rate of 88.5%, significantly exceeding market expectations. The success of this session not only demonstrates the strong resilience and collection potential of the ancient jade market but also injects new vitality into the entire art auction market.
The session featured 85 carefully selected ancient jade pieces, covering various masterpieces from the Neolithic period to the Han Dynasty. Among them, an 'Early Western Zhou Dynasty Celadon Jade Dragon-shaped Pendant' became the highlight of the entire session due to its exquisite craftsmanship and rare condition. This dragon-shaped pendant was finally hammered at RMB 38 million, nearly doubling its lowest estimate, setting a new record for publicly auctioned Western Zhou ancient jadeware in recent years. Another 'Warring States Period White Jade Grain-patterned Bi Disc' also fetched a high price of RMB 22 million, with its transaction price increasing by 45% from the estimate, indicating strong market demand for well-preserved and well-documented Warring States jade bi discs.
From the data, the average price per lot in this session reached RMB 2.17 million, an increase of approximately 15% compared to the average price of similar sessions in the 2025 Autumn Auction. Among them, a total of 5 lots exceeded the RMB 10 million mark, accounting for 48% of the total turnover. This indicates that high-end masterpieces remain the hot pursuit of the market, while the transaction of mid-to-low-end lots also shows a steady growth trend. In addition, jade articles from the Neolithic Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures performed particularly well, with multiple lots selling at prices more than 20% above their estimates, reflecting the deepening recognition of the value of early civilization jade by both academia and collectors.
Professor Li Ming, a senior jade appraisal expert and executive director of the Jade Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, stated in an interview: “The success of this Poly Spring Auction's ancient jade session is a reflection of the market's rational return and the upgrading of collection concepts. Buyers are no longer blindly pursuing 'new, strange, and unique,' but are paying more attention to the historical and cultural value, craftsmanship, and provenance of jade. Especially those masterpieces with clear excavation information or well-documented records are more easily recognized by the market. At the same time, the increasing interest of younger generation collectors in ancient jade has also brought new growth points to the market.”
Market analyst Zhang Hua pointed out: “The performance of the ancient jade market in the 2026 Spring Auction sends several key signals. Firstly, the gradual improvement of the global economic environment has led to a recovery in the investment confidence of high-net-worth individuals, and the attributes of art as a safe-haven asset and cultural investment have once again become prominent. Secondly, with the country's emphasis on cultural relic protection and cultural heritage, the academic research and public popularization of ancient jade have continuously improved, further enhancing its market recognition and value. It is expected that in the next few years, the ancient jade market will continue to maintain steady growth, with prices for masterpieces expected to continue to rise, and the mid-to-low-end market will also show broader participation.”
Looking ahead, Poly Auction will continue to deepen its efforts in the field of ancient jade, providing collectors with more high-quality masterpieces through rigorous academic research and professional market operations. The success of this spring auction undoubtedly lays a good foundation for the upcoming autumn auction and indicates that the Chinese art market, especially the ancient jade sector, is entering a period of recovery full of opportunities.