The Jacobsen Collection & Important Asian Art

Revere Auctions is honored to present the collections of Dr. Robert Jacobsen and Frederick B. Wells III as well as additional important items of Asian Art including a rare Imperial Chinese cloisonne censer, a remarkable array of Japanese woodblock prints spanning centuries, and a charming collection of ojime and netsuke The first half of this auction features a selection of items from the collection of Ellen and Frederick B. Wells III. Born into a prominent Midwest grain family, Wells retired from the Peavey Company in 1976 to pursue his passion for Asian art. He earned a Master?s in East Asian history in 1980 and opened Asian Fine Arts gallery in Minneapolis in 1981, specializing in Asian ceramics, prints, and furniture. Wells developed a personal collection of pristine shin-hanga prints between 1981 and 1989. A dedicated supporter of the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), Wells and his wife Ellen donated various Asian artworks over the years. In 2002, they gifted nearly 270 Japanese prints - including a remarkable group of shin-hanga - that significantly elevated Mia?s status as a leading center for 20th-century Japanese woodblock prints in the U.S. The second half of this auction features items from the collection Dr. Robert D. Jacobsen (1944?2021), who was a pioneering curator and scholar of Asian art who transformed the Minneapolis Institute of Art?s Asian collection during his 33-year tenure. His lifelong passion, sparked by a visit to Japan, led to a vast personal collection spanning Thailand, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and beyond, as well as a rich research library. This auction offers a rare glimpse into his legacy, featuring Asian ceramics, textiles, artworks, and over 10,000 teaching slides.