Property from Mountain Meadow: Freeman’s | Hindman Presents Betty and Gordon Moore’s Collection of English and Irish Furniture at Auction

On October 8, Freeman’s | Hindman will present Mountain Meadow: Property from the Collection of Betty and Gordon Moore in a single-owner sale at the firm’s Chicago saleroom. The auction offers the contents of the couple’s Woodside, California estate, a Tudor Revival residence designed by architect Gardner Dailey and situated in the Santa Cruz foothills.

For more than 30 years, Betty and Gordon Moore lived at Mountain Meadow, where they assembled a collection of fine English and Irish Georgian furniture and decorative arts with the guidance of art advisor and antiques expert Tim Corfield. Gordon, co-founder of Intel, was particularly drawn to pieces of mechanical ingenuity, while Betty, an active member of the Fine Art committee and Governing Board at nearby Filoli Gardens, selected works that reflected her discerning eye for quality design and craftsmanship.

The collection includes notable examples of furniture and decorative arts, from rare clocks to intricately carved seating furniture, many chosen for their historical significance and distinctive design. The sale of this collection will benefit the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the charitable organization they established in 2000 to advance scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area.

“The level of connoisseurship and personality that comes through this collection makes it a delight to work with,” says Nick Coombs, Vice President, Senior Specialist, European Furniture & Decorative Arts. “The Moores imbued life and character into the objects they used to decorate Mountain Meadow and the results are immediately recognizable to the well-trained eye."

Tim Corfield states, “It was a privilege to work with Betty and Gordon Moore for more than two decades as they thoughtfully assembled their collection at Mountain Meadow. Their vision and passion for fine English and Irish furniture and decorative arts made the process immensely rewarding. It is an honor now to help present this collection to a wider audience, ensuring these pieces find new homes while continuing the Moores’ philanthropic legacy through the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.”

Through this offering, Freeman’s | Hindman is proud to celebrate the Moores’ lasting impact as collectors, innovators, and philanthropists.

LEFT TO RIGHT:

A George III Rosewood, Amaranth and Marquetry Cabinet on Stand | Estimate $3,000 – 5,000

A Rare and Unusual Scottish George III Water-Powered Tall Case Clock | Estimate $4,000 – 6,000

A Grand Tour Carved Marble Bust of a Julio-Claudian Emperor | Estimate $3,000 – 5,000

Featured Auction Highlights

· Lot 150 | A Rare and Unusual Scottish George III Water-Powered Tall Case Clock Robert Shand, late 18th/early 19th century | Estimate: $4,000 – 6,000 Commissioned for Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, this clock replaces traditional weights with a water-wheel mechanism—an ingenious rarity that reflects the experimental spirit of the Scottish Enlightenment. Installed at Mountain Meadow with its hydrodynamic system intact, the clock appealed to Gordon Moore’s lifelong interest in science and technology. 

· Lot 175 | A George III Rosewood, Amaranth and Marquetry Cabinet on Stand Circa 1775 | Estimate: $3,000 – 5,000 This refined cabinet showcases exotic veneers and neoclassical motifs inspired by Thomas Chippendale’s designs. Likely produced by a leading London workshop, it exemplifies the sophistication of late 18th-century furniture-making. 

· Lot 28 | A Regency Mahogany Metamorphic Library Chair and Steps After the Design by Morgan and Sanders, circa 1815 | Estimate: $1,500 – 2,500 An inventive Regency design, this metamorphic chair transforms into a set of library steps. First published in Rudolph Ackermann’s Repository of Arts in 1811, the piece represents both functional innovation and fashionable neoclassical style. 

· Lot 3 | A Grand Tour Carved Marble Bust of a Julio-Claudian Emperor 18th/19th century | Estimate: $3,000 – 5,000 Carved for travelers on the Grand Tour, this bust of a Roman emperor reflects the 19th-century market for classical revival works that brought the grandeur of antiquity into European collections.

Additional Highlights

· Lot 2 | A George III Painted Beechwood Triple-Back Settee, Circa 1790 | Estimate $2,000 – 3,000

· Lot 16 | A Regency Mahogany Library Bergère, Early 19th Century | Estimate $3,000 – 5,000

· Lot 25 | A Queen Anne Beechwood and Pine Wingback Armchair, Circa 1710 | Estimate $2,000 – 3,000

· Lot 50 | Benjamin Williams Leader R.A., Across the Heath, 1909 | Estimate $6,000 – 8,000

· Lot 64 | A George III Mahogany Serving Table, Circa 1780 | Estimate $5,000 – 7,000

· Lot 69 | A Chamberlain Worcester Dragons in Compartments Porcelain Well-and-Tree Meat Platter and Chafing Dish, Circa 1796 | Estimate $1,000 – 1,500

· Lot 80 | A George III Mahogany Pipe-Organ Tall Case Clock, William Vale, London, Mid 18th Century | Estimate $8,000 – 12,000

· Lot 89 | A Regency Silver Tea Urn, Benjamin Smith II, London, 1814 | Estimate $8,000 – 12,000

· Lot 102 | A Scottish George III Mahogany Musical Bracket Clock, Dial Signed John Gibson, Edinburgh, Third Quarter 18th Century Estimate $1,000 – 2,000

· Lot 110 | A George II Mahogany Tilt-Top Tripod Table, Circa 1755 | Estimate $3,000 – 5,000

· Lot 131 | A Large Feraghan Sarouk Rug, Arak District, Northwest Persia, 3rd Quarter 19th Century Estimate $10,000 – 15,000

· Lot 181 | A Regency Rosewood Side Cabinet, Early 19th Century | Estimate $2,000 – 3,000

· Lot 198 | A George III Maple, Satinwood and Mahogany Bowfront Chest of Drawers, Circa 1800 | Estimate $2,000 – 3,000