A California auction house is limbering up to hold an Arts and Antiques auction, led by Asian works on Sunday, January 29, starting after lunch at local time. Internet live bidding will be provided for the 429-lot auction.

There are a number of highlights are sourced from private collections located in New York, Los Angeles, the Bel Air estate of Peter Wald and San Diego including important Chinese carved jades, ivories and jewellery.

Just the other day, we were discussing the booming price of antique netsuke, and there are some excellent opportunities for collectors of these and Japanese ivories in this sale, not to mention an intriguing set of woodcarvings.

Antique carved green jadeite figure of a goddess

One particularly intriguing lot is a set of the eight Immortals, each just over a foot high, made from ivory. This has a $25,000-$30,000 estimate.

The same listing is attached to Chinese jadeite groups of phoenix carved with other birds, likewise standing just over a foot tall. All appear above chrysanthemums and other flowers.

Antique carved ivory figures of the immortals

Another antique carved jadeite figure presents a goddess with a striking green hue, especially on her face. Standing at just under a foot tall, it is valued at $20,000-$25,000.

As all collectors will know, the market for Asian art and antiques has been surging in recent years, with the most spectacular highlight last year being a large jade bear, which sold for over $8m. Likewise the two top-selling artists of 2011 were Chinese: Zhang Daqian and Qi Baishi ahead of Warhol and Picasso.