The Budapest Museum of Applied Arts, one of the oldest of its kind, dates fom 1872. It is not just the exhibits but also the architectural splendors of the museum which make it such a pleasure to visit. The three-story building, which first opened its doors in 1896, was designed in Hungarian Art Nouveau style by Ödön Lechner. In contrast to his later work on the Postal Savings Bank, here Lechner has returned to past, mainly Oriental forms and merged them with elements from Hungarian folk-art to produce a new style.
The red granite facing and patterned roof-tiles (prepared in the Zsolnay porcelain factory at Pécs) are particularly fine. On the right near the main entrance is a statue of the architect by B. Farkas (1936). The central inner courtyard -- all in white and covered by a glass roof -- and the hall with the ticket-office provide a fairytale amalgam of Indian and Moorish styles. Some of the exhibition rooms are situated around this inner courtyard and open into it through large arcades.
The construction of the inner courtyard with its white-painted steel supports is extremely modern.
Ground Floor
Around the inner courtyard: styles of home décor from the Biedermeier period to the end of the 19th C (c 1850--1900). Furniture, fine arts, carpets and other furnishings are displayed together in individual rooms each representing a period style or a certain fashion. Note particularly a Neo-Baroque bedroom, a study from c 1850, and a dining room with a tiled stove made in the Zsolnay factory, Thonet furniture and Chinese-fashion craftwork. There are detailed and very helpful explanations in Hungarian and English.
First Floor
Around the inner courtyard can be seen styles of home décor from Classicism to Biedermeier (c 1800--1850). The presentation is on similar lines to that on the ground floor; on display are furniture, craftwork, clothing, porcelain and silver, musical instruments and works of art.
In the domed room and in the East Wing are five more departments portraying developments in Hungarian skilled crafts.
Glass and ceramics
Herend porcelain, faience by Holic and Tata, Haban cutlery, ceramics from famous Hungarian manufacturers.
Textiles
Hungarian ecclesiastical vestments and costumes, valuable Coptic weaving (4th--7th C), Anatolian carpets, Renaissance materials, Dutch Gobelin tapestries, French, Italian and Hungarian lace and various other hand-crafted articles.
Sundries
Carved ivory, pearl ornaments, leatherwork, bookbinding, other crafts in paper and leather.
Wood
Old Hungarian household objects, 18th C French furnishings, historical musical instruments, models.
Precious Metal work
15th--17th C goldsmith's work, articles made of silver, bronze, copper and pewter; old Hungarian and Transylvanian jewelry (some enamelled); clocks.
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