Warring States Jade Bi Disc Achieves New Heights: Ancient Jade Market Maintains Momentum at Sotheby's Spring Sale

Warring States Jade Bi Disc Achieves New Heights: Ancient Jade Market Maintains Momentum at Sotheby's Spring Sale

[Hong Kong, February 24, 2026] At Sotheby's Spring Auction today, a highly anticipated "Late Warring States Period Celadon Jade Bi Disc with Grain Pattern" (Lot 1509) fetched a hammer price of RMB 6,265,914, significantly exceeding the lower end of its estimated range of RMB 4,390,884 - 8,781,769. This once again confirms the sustained strong demand in the high-end ancient jade market and investors' pursuit of rare treasures.

This celadon jade bi disc, measuring 22.5 cm in diameter, boasts a warm jade quality and exquisite craftsmanship. It is fully adorned with grain patterns, symbolizing harvest and continuous life, making it an exemplary ritual jade from the Warring States period. Its excellent state of preservation, with natural localized calcification, undoubtedly adds to the charm of this historical relic. The transaction price not only reflects the artistic value and historical significance of the item itself but also mirrors the current global art market's profound interest in ancient Chinese art, especially archaic jade.

Market Analysis: The Resilience of Archaic Jade and Future Trends

In recent years, despite a complex and volatile global economic environment, the art market, particularly the ancient Chinese art sector, has shown remarkable resilience. Among them, archaic jade (referring to jade artifacts from before the Han Dynasty) has become a hot spot in the collecting world due due to its non-renewable nature, profound historical and cultural connotations, and unique artistic aesthetics.

• Driven by Scarcity and Cultural Value: The Warring States period was a golden age for the development of ancient Chinese civilization, and its jade carving craftsmanship reached a peak. The number of Warring States jade artifacts passed down to this day is limited, and masterpieces are even rarer. These jade artifacts are not only exquisite works of art but also material carriers of ancient philosophical thought, social systems, and aesthetic concepts. With the increasing influence of Chinese culture, international collectors' awareness and interest in ancient Chinese art have also grown, further pushing up the market value of archaic jade.

• Highlighting Investment Hedge Attributes: Against the backdrop of global inflation expectations and increased volatility in financial markets, art assets with hard asset attributes, such as archaic jade, are increasingly demonstrating their role as investment hedges. They can not only resist inflation but also, to a certain extent, preserve and increase wealth. The sale of this Warring States jade bi disc is a strong example, indicating that even within the estimated range, buyers are willing to pay a premium for excellent quality and reliably sourced treasures.

• Maturation of Professional Connoisseurship System: With the deepening of research on archaic jade by auction houses, museums, and academic institutions, as well as advancements in scientific authentication methods, the connoisseurship system for archaic jade is becoming increasingly sophisticated. This provides collectors with a more solid foundation of confidence and reduces investment risks. The professional capabilities of top international auction houses like Sotheby's in sourcing, authenticating, and promoting items also provide an important platform for the circulation and value discovery of archaic jade.

It is foreseeable that the archaic jade market will remain active in the coming years. Several trends are worth noting:

* Trend towards Masterpieces: The market will increasingly favor perfectly preserved, exquisitely crafted, and clearly sourced top-tier collectibles. The price growth potential for ordinary items may be limited, while "hard currency" will continue to be sought after.
* Interaction between Academic Research and Market: With new archaeological discoveries and in-depth academic research, new value points and collecting hotspots may continuously emerge, further stimulating market vitality.
* International Perspective: The purchasing power of Asian, especially mainland Chinese, collectors remains strong. At the same time, traditional collector groups in Europe and the United States will continue to pay attention to ancient Chinese art, forming a diversified buyer structure.
* Technology Empowerment: Blockchain traceability, high-tech authentication, and other technologies will be more widely applied in the art market, enhancing transaction transparency and security, and further boosting collector confidence.

The successful sale of this Warring States celadon jade bi disc not only added brilliance to Sotheby's Spring Sale but also injected new vitality into the entire ancient jade market. It reminds us once again that in the field of art investment, a deep understanding of cultural value and the ultimate pursuit of quality are always key to navigating cycles and achieving value growth.