DALLAS, TX.- A collection of 19 clocks, including seven tall case clocks by important makers, will be among the highlights at Heritage Auctions’ Fine & Decorative Arts Including Estates Auction March 8-10 in Dallas.

The auction also will feature pieces from the collection of noted Dallas collector and designer Joseph Minton and a collection of lots from important Western artists.

“The clocks are incredible, with mechanisms by important clock makers within finely crafted cases,” Heritage Auctions Fine Art Silver & Decorative Art Director Karen Rigdon said. “The mechanisms are signed by important makers and the cases are beautiful, dating to the 18th and 19th centuries.”

The top estimate in the auction belongs to an exceptional Melchior Balthazar French Régence Gilt Bronze-Mounted and Brass-Inlaid Kingwood Tall Case Clock with "Equation of Time," Paris, circa 1730. Standing 82-1/4 inches high, the clock (estimate $20,000-30,000) has a commanding presence with its gracefully elegant late Baroque lines.

A Simon Lachez Walnut Veneered, Noble Wood and Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry-Inlaid Oak Tall Case Clock, Utrecht, Holland, circa 1720 (estimate $15,000-25,000) stands 96 inches tall. This wonderful example in a Dutch Baroque inlayed case features a shaped bonnet with arched pediment supported by barley twist columns.

A Frères Dumont Louis-XIV Lacquer, Brass, and Gilt Bronze-Mounted Religieuse Table Clock, Besançon, France, circa 1700 (estimate $7,000-10,000) is ornamented with faux tortoiseshell and brass boulle marquetry inlay and gilt bronze mounts. A shaped bonnet has eight torch finials and acanthus leaves to front corners, and arched pediment above a cuboid case with gilt bronze dial with enameled Roman numerals and engraved Arabic numerals supported by two female figures.

The sale includes 72 lots from the collection of Dallas-Fort Worth designer and collector Joseph Minton, including:

· A Monumental Flemish Tapestry, 17th-18th century (estimate: $6,000-8,000), measuring 111-1/2 by 162 inches

· A Pair of Régence-Style Carved Giltwood Mirrors, 20th century (estimate $5,000-8,000), carved giltwood in a dolphin and acanthus motif with a beveled mirror in center

· A Paul Sormani Louis XVI-Style Gilt Bronze-Mounted Commode with Breche d' Alep Marble Top, Paris, circa 1870 (estimate $5,000-7,000), a Louis XVI-style commode with shaped Breche d' Alep marble top with large rounded fragments in shades of taupe, ochre, sienna, and brown, above a cuboid case with three stacked drawers

Also included is a selection of historic and contemporary Western Art that ranges in value, providing an opportunity for both emerging and seasoned collectors to attain works by renowned artists of the American West. Featured among the art of the American West is a collection from a trustee at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles.

Among the top Western Art lots is George Hallmark’s monumental work, Otro Dia, 2005 (estimate: $12,000-18,000), which is among one of the finest highlights in the auction. A native Texan, Hallmark’s paintings are held in museums and serious collections nationwide. With the open door that peeks through the cool interior to the garden and the iconic burro that gazes outward, this large-scale work acts as an invitation for the viewer to explore the charming Southwest architecture that so deeply fascinated Hallmark.

The sale also will showcase an array of bronzes by premier Western artists. Tim Shinabarger’s Headed for High Country, 2007 (estimate: $12,000-18,000), is an exquisite example of his ability to capture the ruggedness of the outdoors. Typically working with wildlife figures, this 59-inch-long bronze is unique in that it depicts riders with their packhorses – a subject rarely seen on the market.

Among a strong collection of paintings in the sale by George Phippen, Wild Bunch, 1950 (estimate: $10,000-15,000) captures the energetic and vibrant atmosphere of life on the range. This dynamic work depicts an action-packed scene of two cowboys wrangling the herd, as dust envelops the riders.

Visions of Change (estimate: $10,000-$15,000) by Mian Situ, is a psychologically steeped portrait of a grandmother, mother and son looking out toward the viewer with the hopes of prosperity and change for each subsequent generation. This work exemplifies Situ’s dedication to showcasing the contributions of the Chinese in the expansion of the West.

Other top Western Art lots include, but are not limited to:

· Joe Beeler’s Sunday Afternoon in Oklahoma (estimate: $10,000-15,000)

· John Coleman’s The Guardian, 2007 (estimate: $7,000-10,000)

· Twisters and Outlaws, 1981 (estimate: $4,000-6,000)