The collection documents rural life and artifacts of traditional folk culture. Consequently, the collection is dominated by objects associated with traditional agriculture and the running of a rural household, including the processing of agricultural products and food preparation; it also includes tools for the home production and maintenance of textiles, examples of clothing, household furnishings, building components, and architectural models. The collection also includes sets of production tools and products from specialized crafts (fabric printing blocks, gingerbread forms, majolica, and underglaze painting on glass), folk toys, objects related to traditional customs and religious worship, as well as historical forms of municipal administration (bailiff's rights). The objects date from the 18th to the 20th century. Artefacts of this nature have been entering the museum since its inception. Initially, these were primarily representative artefacts demonstrating the craftsmanship and artistic sensibility of their makers, or objects that had become obsolete in contemporary society.
A significant expansion occurred particularly around 1895 (influenced by the Czech & Slavonic Ethnographic Exhibition in Prague 1895) and during the second half of the 20th century. Regionally, the collection gathers objects created or used in Eastern Bohemia (Eastern Polabí, Železné hory, Českomoravská vysočina, Podorlicko). Although items of common period production predominate, this material is becoming increasingly difficult to acquire. The collection currently consists of over 3200 items.
The collection is managed by Mgr. Matěj Pros
