The Warsaw Museum of Fine Art opened in 1862 and turned into the National Museum in 1916, began collecting decorative art objects only at the beginning of the 20th century.  1901 is the symbolic date of the first collection of craftsmanship in the Museum, when Roman Szewczykowski left his collection of artistic blacksmithery  and metal work for the common good in his will. The collection was destined for the National Museum. In practice, it found its place in the Museum in 1918 but, before 1912, the Museum had already been in possession of some decorative art objects thanks to previous donations.

Decorative art was officially included in the program of the Museum’s activity drawn up in 1915. The new department dedicated to decorative arts developed very intensively, mainly thanks to immense generosity of the public at large and also to gifts and deposits from other Warsaw institutions, such as Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych (the Association for the Encouragement of Fine Arts), Towarzystwo Opieki nad Zabytkami Przeszłości (the Association for Protection of Historical Artefacts) and the Museum of Industry and Agriculture as well as many purchases.

Over the 50 years following World War II, despite severe losses suffered during the war, the collection has grown significantly, becoming the largest and the richest body of old European decorative art from the 10th  to the early 20th centuries in Poland.

The Galleries of Decorative Art are situated on the second floor of the Museum and consist of the Gallery of Polish Decorative Art, the Leopold Kronenberg Silver Cabinet, and the Gallery of European Decorative Art.