Poly Auction 2026 Spring Sale: Master Jade Carvings Achieve New Heights, Market Resilience Evident

BEIJING, May 18, 2026 – The highly anticipated Poly Auction 2026 Spring Sale recently concluded with remarkable success, particularly in the “Treasured Artifacts: Chinese Jade and Works of Art” specialist sale. The total transaction value reached RMB 480 million, with an impressive sell-through rate of 89.5%, significantly exceeding market expectations. The auction's focus was on exquisite works by contemporary master jade carvers, with multiple pieces selling at high premiums, once again affirming the strong resilience of the high-end jade market and collectors' sustained pursuit of artistic value.

Key Transaction Data Highlights:

* Total Transaction Value: RMB 480 million
* Sell-through Rate: 89.5%
* Highest-Priced Lot: Lot 3026, a Hetian jade carving titled “Blessings and Longevity” by national-level jade carving master Wang, fetched a final price of RMB 85 million. This was 21.4% to 70% above its estimate (RMB 50 million - 70 million). The piece, featuring superior material and exquisite craftsmanship, with an auspicious theme, sparked multiple rounds of intense bidding.
* Second Highest-Priced Lot: Lot 3018, a Biyu jade mountain carving titled “Serene Mountain and Water Sounds” by emerging jade carving artist Li, sold for RMB 32 million, representing a premium of 60% to 6.7% over its estimate (RMB 20 million - 30 million). This work, with its unique creativity and meticulous carving, showcased the innovative vitality of contemporary jade carving art.
* Other High-Value Lots: Several works by other renowned contemporary jade carvers, such as Zhang and Chen, also performed well, with prices generally exceeding the upper estimate by 10%-30%. For example, Zhang's “Auspicious Beasts” white jade handpiece sold for RMB 12 million, and Chen's “Guanyin Seated Figure” celadon jade carving sold for RMB 9.5 million.

Market Analysis and Trend Forecast:

The success of this Poly Spring Sale clearly conveys several important market signals. Firstly, the artistic value and market scarcity of top master jade carvers are continuously increasing. Especially artists with national or provincial-level titles in arts and crafts, their works not only represent the highest level of Chinese jade carving but also embody unique cultural connotations and aesthetic appreciation. Secondly, the scarcity of high-quality raw Hetian jade, as the mainstream of the Chinese jade market, has further driven up the prices of finished products. The high-priced lots in this auction were mostly Xinjiang Hetian seed jade, whose warm, delicate texture and rarity are crucial supports for their value. Thirdly, the younger generation of collectors' understanding and acceptance of jade carving art are growing, with a greater focus on the artistry, creativity, and cultural connotations of the works, rather than just the material itself. This provides vast room for the future development of contemporary jade carving art.

Expert Commentary:

Professor Wang, a senior jade market analyst, commented: “The results of this Poly Spring Sale are exciting. It not only reflects the value preservation and appreciation attributes of high-end artworks as hard assets in the current economic environment but, more importantly, it highlights the strong vitality of traditional Chinese jade carving art in a contemporary context. Especially master-level works, their artistic and cultural value has become the core pursuit of collectors. In the future, we expect the market to continue developing towards specialization, branding, and artistic focus, with works possessing unique artistic styles and cultural connotations being more favored.”

Mr. Li, Head of the Chinese Works of Art Department at Poly Auction, also pointed out: “The excellent performance of this Spring Sale is due to our strict control over the quality of the lots and our accurate judgment of market trends. Particularly for contemporary master jade carving works, we have seen strong confidence from collectors in their artistic value and investment potential. In the future, we will continue to deepen our efforts in this area, presenting more exquisite pieces with both artistic and collectible value to global collectors.”

In summary, the Poly Auction 2026 Spring Sale injected a strong boost into the Chinese jade art market, signaling a vibrant and promising future. Driven by both a boutique strategy and market demand, the Chinese jade carving art market is poised to reach new heights of development.