The Permanent Exhibition Renaissance baroque rococo was designed by the Austria artist Franz Graf. With his modest intervention, Graf combines two unique media in one room in simple showcases and specially made stands: Venetian and Nordic glasses as well as needlepoint and bobbin laces from the 15th to 17th centuries.

Both were luxury product produced by manufactories in Italy, France, Flanders, Northern Bohemia, and Silesia, and were sold at high prices all over Europe. Precious drinking vessels made of glass and the lavish lace decorations demanded by fashion thus found their way into the possessions of wealthy patricians and European dynasties, who owned the pieces in this room.

The first of the two central showcases in the room presents technically superb Venetian glasses. Since the 13th century, exquisite glasses have been produced on the Venetian island of Murano following their own, top secret compositions and techniques.

In contrast to the usually blown Venetian glass, in Bohemia and Silesia glass started to be developed in the 17th century that was decorated with cutting and engraving, or with enamel, gold, or Schwarzlot (“black lead”). The second showcase in the room presents visitors with outstanding examples of this Northern glass art and highlights the technical and stylistic differences.

Finally, fine Renaissance and Baroque lace can be admired framing the room. The history of lace production only begins in late Renaissance, probably in Italy. There are two types, needlepoint and bobbin laces, but you often also come across a combination of both techniques. The presentation of the lace against a black background not only emphasizes its graphic quality, but also its delicacy and grace. The majority of the lace is from the collection of the Jewish women's rights activist Bertha Pappenheim, who is also known as Sigmund Freud’s patient “Anna O.”

The composition of glasses and laces makes it possible to compare the two luxury materials. The transparency and fragility of the material as well as the artisanal virtuosity of the production unite the exhibits in the room and turn this room into a real treasure.