A pair of chairs and a bed made of zitan, red sandalwood, are among more than 80 pieces of furniture that will be auctioned during Asian Art Week in New York in March.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Christie's billed it as the "most significant collection of Asian art" for the pieces' ownership histories and the rarity of the items. They include a pair of 17th-century huanghuali armchairs, which are expected to go for $600,000 to $800,000, and a rare zitan luohan monk's bed from the 18th century, which is expected to sell for $2 million to $3 million. Huanghuali furniture is made from fragrant rosewood; zitan is red sandalwood.

"The big draw for this collection is the extraordinary furniture collection," said Michelle Cheng, a specialist in Chinese art at Christie's.

"I think one of the things that really stands out to me about this collection is the Viratas were, if you will, nerdy collectors. They weren't just interested in collecting the best examples of Chinese furniture they could find. They were also very interested in the collecting history.

"... They didn't want to just have a table, they wanted a table that Christian Humann owned. They didn't want a pair of chairs, they wanted a pair of chairs that Gustav Ecke owned. They were very invested in who these individuals were, the historical aspects of collecting Chinese art," she said.