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The 1970s was not only the decade of disco, it was the decade of Deco—Art Deco, that is—when young, high-profile collectors such as fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and artist Andy Warhol were snapping up the works of Jean Dunand, Eileen Gray, and other prewar design luminaries.

Here in New York City, Steven A. Greenberg, the flamboyant financier and former co-owner of a pair of louche Manhattan nightclubs, the Palladium and the Roxy, as well as the Gramercy Park Hotel, led the acquisitional pack. His eagle eye and deep pockets led him to amass one of the world’s most impressive hauls of European and American Art Deco treasures in private hands, some of it proudly displayed in his magnificent 67th-floor office in the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center, a high-ceilinged, red velvet–swathed chamber that was featured in the November 1988 issue of Architectural Digest.

The impresario died last February at age 68, and his museum-quality acquisitions go on the block in a two-day sale that starts December 12 at Christie’s in New York City. The 210 lots include masterworks by Gray, Dunand, Pierre Chareau, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, and more. The sale features the creations of lesser-known exemplars, too, such as André Sornay, who designed the largest offering in the sale—a 1930s man’s study replete with nail-studded wood paneling and furniture and lighting made to match. The sale is expected to bring more than $15 million.

To view a dozen of the most dazzling Deco pieces from the auction, click here.

To explore Steven A. Greenberg’s lavish Manhattan home and office as it appeared in our November 1988 issue, click here.