Sotheby's Autumn 2026 Auction: Ancient Jade Bi Leads to Record Sales, Signaling Significant Market Rebound

【Hong Kong, November 18, 2026】Sotheby's Hong Kong Autumn 2026 Auction concluded successfully yesterday, achieving a total sale of HK$2.25 billion, significantly exceeding its pre-sale estimate of HK$1.8 billion. The sell-through rate reached 88.5%, indicating a strong rebound in the art market. The 'Important Chinese Art' sale was particularly outstanding, with the ancient jade bi section becoming the biggest highlight of the auction. Multiple rare jade artifacts sold at high prices, reaffirming the unshakeable position of archaic jade in the collecting world.

The star lot of this auction, a 'Late Shang Dynasty Celadon Jade Bi with Grain Pattern', estimated at HK$8 million to HK$12 million, finally hammered at HK$28 million, reaching HK$33.6 million with buyer's premium, a premium of 180% above the high estimate. Another 'Warring States Period White Jade Bi with Dragon and Phoenix Motif' sold for HK$15 million, exceeding its high estimate by 50%. In total, 25 ancient jade bi were offered in this auction, achieving a total of HK$120 million, with a sell-through rate of 96% and an average premium rate of 75%, fully demonstrating collectors' pursuit of exquisite archaic jade.

Mr. Nicolas Chow, Chairman of Sotheby's Asia, stated after the auction: "The success of this autumn sale, especially the outstanding performance of the ancient jade bi section, undoubtedly outlines a clear market recovery curve for us. Collectors' appreciation and confidence in art values are gradually recovering, especially for rare archaic jade with clear provenance, excellent condition, and historical and cultural value, whose market performance often exceeds expectations. This is not only an inflow of capital but also a deep recognition of traditional Chinese art and culture."

Market Analysis and Trend Forecast:

• Value Reassertion of Archaic Jade: In recent years, the archaic jade market has been on a steady upward trajectory. The results of this auction further confirm this trend. With the gradual stabilization of the global economy and the enhancement of cultural confidence, ancient jade artifacts with profound historical heritage and artistic value, especially those exquisite pieces dating back to the Shang, Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods, their scarcity and non-renewability determine their long-term investment value.

• Optimized Collector Structure: The buyer structure of this auction showed diversification, with not only seasoned collectors from traditional collecting hubs but also many emerging young collectors and institutional buyers actively participating in bidding. This indicates that the collecting group for archaic jade is expanding, and the younger generation's interest in traditional culture is growing, injecting new vitality into the market.

• Quality and Provenance are Key: The transaction data shows that jade bi with excellent condition, exquisite craftsmanship, and clear provenance are more likely to achieve high premiums. Collectors are increasingly stringent in their consideration of historical provenance, cultural connotations, and preservation status when selecting archaic jade. In the future, lots with authoritative appraisal certificates and clear provenance records will be more favored.

• Chinese Art in a Global Perspective: As a top international auction house, Sotheby's global platform advantage allows Chinese art to reach a wider international buyer base. In this auction, many overseas collectors participated in bidding via phone or online, demonstrating the global appeal of ancient Chinese art.

Professor Li Ming, a renowned jade appraisal expert and Vice President of the China Jade Culture Research Association, commented: "The performance of ancient jade bi at Sotheby's autumn sale is exhilarating. The transaction price of a Shang and Zhou jade bi breaking HK$30 million is rare in recent years. It not only reflects the market's re-evaluation of the artistic value of archaic jade but also heralds the arrival of a more rational, more quality-focused era of archaic jade collecting. In the next few years, we expect high-quality ancient jade with unique cultural symbols to continue to maintain strong growth momentum, becoming an important segment in the art investment field."

In conclusion, the success of Sotheby's Autumn 2026 Auction, particularly the outstanding performance of the ancient jade bi section, not only injected confidence into the art market but also pointed the way for the future development of archaic jade. With collectors' deeper understanding of art values and sustained market confidence, we have reason to believe that the Chinese ancient art market will usher in a more prosperous period.