本論文探討中國大陸文物拍賣會的社會建構過程，以及拍賣社群的網絡關係。立基於社會學和人類學對於拍賣品象徵性價值的探討，本研究認為古董的拍賣價格並非如經濟學者所認為的供需之間的數字關係而已，本研究提出講究人情關係的傳統中國社會文化，衍生出關係與禮物的價值才是影響古董文物拍賣價格的關鍵因素。而且中國大陸文物拍賣市場是深深的鑲嵌在社會與文化之中，所以才能在短期之內蓬勃發展。文物拍賣不但為傳統價格模糊的中國古董建立出明確的價格系譜，同時也為傳統北京琉璃廠的盛況在當前換上了「拍賣」的新衣，而衍生成「中國式」的拍賣文化。

This paper argues that auctions are socially constructed rather than simple commercial events. The main concern of this paper is exploration of the backstage of auctions to reveal social networks between sellers and buyers and to show that auction markets are embedded in society and culture. An auction is a high end art market, which is a commercial performance stage and has high social visibility and symbolic meaning. There are lots of economic studies on auction theory regarding calculating the price, art research on artists and works of art, marketing research on art fashion and trends. All the previous research regards auctions as numbers and records, but cannot show the actors and social relationships in an auction market. From a social embeddedness perspective, this paper studies art auction markets of China to illustrate that behind the open stage of auctions there are several interrelated communities exchanging information and money. Newly formed Chinese art auctions convey old social functions.