GLASS, CERAMICS, PORCELAIN, APOTHECARY JAR COLLECTION – OPEN STORAGE

Glass, porcelain and ceramic articles of the Department of Early Modern History and a smaller unit of apothecary jars are on display in the open storage accessible to the public, on the lower level. The room was named after Ágoston Kubinyi, the former scholarly director of the museum (1843–1869). Its downstairs furniture was crafted in the 1860s at the same time as that of the Széchényi Hall, and the upstairs in 1907. The drawer system conversion took place in the 21st century. Items representing Hungarian history, social, cultural and industrial history are exhibited in this storeroom. The collection's treasures include portraits of famous historical personalities, politicians, artists and scientists, as well as objects once used by them (e.g. Prince Ferenc II Rákóczi, Lajos Kossuth, Lajos Batthyány, Ferenc Deák, Queen Elisabeth).

Fun facts:

• Pro-Hungarian Archduke Joseph of Habsburg, Palatine of Hungary, was the museum's chief patron. The elegant porcelain statue depicting him, that looks like white marble, was made in Vienna after a 1825 model by Elias Hutter, in the 1830s.
• Financial funds for the creative development of the famous Zsolnay ceramics were established by porcelain insulator spools. Vilmos Zsolnay was not only an excellent ceramist, but also a great businessman. In 1888, he succeeded in signing a contract for the exclusive supply of the national railways and postal services. This agreement is commemorated by an item of great industrial historical importance, which is inscribed "to His Excellency Gábor Baross, Minister of Transport, a powerful promoter of Hungarian industry".
• The cellar storage chest is a lidded chest divided into compartments inside, which could hold six to eight bottles of prismatic-body. Cool cellars of manor houses were suitable for storing drinks in this way, but it also proved a very practical means of transporting valuable drinks when travelling.