The Legacy of The Daytons
Art collecting in America has long been shaped by patrons whose vision extends beyond possession. Among these, Bruce Dayton (1918-2015) and Ruth Stricker Dayton (1935-2020) stand out as exemplars. Their collection, generosity, and careful stewardship have left an indelible mark in the Twin Cities. Revere Auctions has been privileged to play a role in bringing parts of that legacy into new hands, homes, and institutions.
The Dayton family built their fortune in Minneapolis with Dayton’s Department Store, which, over the decades since its founding in 1902, grew into the retail powerhouse known today as Target Corporation. Their passion for art and culture extended from their personal collecting habits to that of Dayton’s Gallery 12, a pioneering space within the store that introduced generations of Minnesotans to contemporary and modern art.
Bruce Dayton began his involvement in the arts early: becoming a trustee of the Minneapolis Institute of Art in his early 20s. His taste, marked by curiosity, was wide—encompassing European and American painting, classical Chinese art, furniture, scholar’s objects, porcelains, scrolls, and more. His partnership with his wife Ruth Stricker Dayton was a turning point in his collecting. Together, they embarked on a more serious engagement with Chinese art in the 1980s-90s. Their collecting reflected both connoisseurship and a respectful cultural sensibility.
Over the years, the Daytons donated thousands of artworks to MIA, often with a dramatic, transformative effect on its holdings. Some of their most important gifts include paintings by such artists as Manet, Kirchner, Mondrian, etc., and substantial collections of Chinese art. Bruce worked closely with Dr. Robert Jacobsen, Mia’s Chair of Asian Art at the time, and good friend. Through this partnership, the Daytons added more than 800 examples of Chinese art, furniture, and architecture, transforming the Mia into one of the largest and most important displays of Chinese Art in America.
These gifts did not simply swell the museum’s inventory–they shaped how exhibitions were conceived, how Mia structured their galleries, and how the public encountered art at the museum. The Daytons’ gifts helped enlarge and deepen Mia’s Asian art holdings to the world-class status it still holds today.
Revere Auctions’ involvement with the Dayton collection has come in several phases, helping to steward the estate at times of transition. From assisting with the family’s large estate appraisal, to handling the auction of their items in the November 2021 sale: Selections from the Estate. This auction featured many unique pieces spanning the Dayton Collection. Offering works across decorative arts, antiquities, furnishings, Asian objects, and much more to help the family clear the home in Deephaven, MN and prepare the property for its next chapter.
Magdalene Odundo Terra Cotta Vase
Sold: $70,000
Early European Carved Marble Torso Venus
Sold: $20,000
Steinway & Sons Grand Piano w/ Bench
Sold: $36,000
17th c. French School Lead Garden Sculpture Lady with Faun
Sold: $165,000
Chinese Ink Painting of Bamboo After Qi Baishi
Sold: $12,000
Chinese Clair-de-lune Porcelain Vase w/ Box – Marked
Sold: $270,000
Chinese Crackle Dog Masked Vase
Sold: $4,800
Large Group Calligraphy Supplies
Sold: $4,600
Bamboo Breakfast Table w/ 6 Chairs
Sold: $2,900
Bamboo Dining Table w/ 8 Chairs
Sold: $5,500
Revere Auctions was called upon to assist the Dayton family a second time in 2023 when “The Marsh”, an upscale spa and wellness center in Excelsior, MN, was set to exchange ownership. Revere stepped in again to inventory and present pieces from that period of collecting where the Daytons heavily focused on the Chinese and Southeast Asian art categories. This selection from The Marsh was showcased in both September 2023 sales, Movement: Fine Chinese & Southeast Asian Art and Autumn Elegance: Fine Art, Decor, & Furnishings. Items of note include an amazing oversized sculpture by Ju Ming, a selection of paintings, Chinese Porcelain, and a collection of Chinese Hardwood Furniture.
2 Massive 18th c. Chinese Porcelain Planters
Sold: $75,000
Milton Resnick Abstract Oil on Paper 1960
Sold: $38,000
19th c. Chinese Scholar’s Rock w/ Stand
Sold: $12,000
19th c. Chinese Huali Rosewood Table
Sold: $28,000
Large Jon Schueler “Skye” Painting 1977
Sold: $18,000
Cameron Booth “Vertical” Acrylic Painting 1958
Sold: $7,000
What sets the Dayton collection apart is not just the quality of the works, though there’s plenty of that. It’s the coherence, the generosity, and the way that collecting was always in conversation with the public.
The estate of Bruce & Ruth Dayton is much more than a body of objects—it is a marker of what sustained, thoughtful commitment to art, generosity, and community can accomplish. Revere Auctions’ role in the 2021 and 2023 transactions of these objects has been part of a larger story: one of collecting not for mere prestige, but for public enrichment; collecting and sharing treasures, not hoarding them. For collectors, museums, and students of art history, the Dayton legacy continues to offer specimens, lessons, and a model. Revere has helped facilitate the responsible dispersal of works, ensured thorough provenance and documentation, and provided market access to both regional and global collectors of the Daytons’ pieces. And through Revere Auctions, many of those specimens went back into the world with their provenance intact, ready for new chapters.