Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague

The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague collects, processes and preserves artifacts of historical and contemporary crafts and applied art and design for future generations. 

In its exhibitions you can learn about the history of the Czech and foreign applied art, design, book culture, photography and fashion industry. The museum administers vast art collections, out of which it annually prepares approximately three exhibitions. The museum also participates in various representative events both in the Czech Republic and abroad and presents the results of its scientific work through professional publications, lectures and other cultural-educational events. The permanent collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague consists of exhibits from late antiquity to the twentieth century. Individual halls of the museum are divided according to collections and visitors can see ceramics, glass and metals, textiles and fashion, furniture, applied graphics, photographs and other interesting exhibits. The first home of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague established in 1885 was the Rudolfinum and in 1890 it moved to a new building, its current home that was built in the vicinity of the Rudolfinum and Mánes Bridge according to the design of architect Josef Schulz, admirer of Italian Renaissance that he applied in many of his designs of new buildings and renovations. The front facade of the museum comprises reliefs depicting various arts and crafts designed by Antonín Popp and Bohuslav Schnirch and emblems of selected Czech towns. Besides other things also the entrance hall of the museum with rich stucco work, paintings and balustrade with brass candlesticks is most interesting. A part of the museum is a library with original furnishings that is one of the most beautiful public reading rooms in Prague. Worth visiting is also the museum shop where you can buy reproductions of pre-war posters and photographs and Cubist objects from the collections of the museum. Both the museum and shop are open from Tuesday till Sunday.