Glass
Most of the glass in the Marton collection dates from the first half of the nineteenth century and is in the Biedermeier style. This was a time when artistic glass production was marked by technological innovations in finishing and decoration. The collection includes all the most important new kinds of glass that were then invented. Decoration and colour were more important to Biedermeier artists than shape. In the 1830s, glass coloured through the entire spectrum was popular. Yet despite the popularity of coloured glass, cutting remained the most important decorative method and, unlike some other kinds of decoration, it demanded great technical skill and an artistic inclination. Unfortunately, many superb master cutters have remained anonymous despite working at a high artistic level. The collection includes pieces made in many different colours, as well as pieces exhibiting high levels of technical cutting skill.
The most typical Biedermeier items were those produced for a certain purpose, such as a gift or a souvenir. These were items created with care and love of detail. Many were individualized and contain the name of the owner, some kind of appropriate verse, a date, or simply a monogram. An example of this are the spa beakers created for those people who frequented the spa centers scattered throughout Europe back in the nineteenth century, some of which still exist today. A lot of these beakers were perfect souvenirs of a relaxing visit to the spa. It was not uncommon for these glasses to have painted panoramas of the town from which they came from.