A Yuan Underglaze-Red Jar Sells for HK$170 Million — and Sets a Record

The 2026 Hong Kong Summer Art Auction closed with antique porcelain as its clear highlight. A rare Yuan dynasty relief underglaze-red phoenix jar reached HK$170 million after several rounds of bidding, setting a record for underglaze-red porcelain in recent years. A Yuan blue-and-white dragon-pattern meiping followed at HK$30 million.

Almost every high-antiquity and official kiln lot in the sale found a buyer. Near-total clearance matters more than any single hammer price: a record lot can be one determined bidder, but a full sell-through is a market with depth.

The read-across for a contemporary maker is narrower than it looks, and more useful. What clears at that level is work with visible evidence of hand and fire — brushwork, kiln variation, a surface that could not have come off a transfer roller. That is the same quality a buyer is paying for at $40 a mug, and it is the reason we keep hand-drawn underglaze in a range that would be cheaper to decal.