The earliest items on display at the Gzhel Museum date back to the 14th century, when the tradition of Gzhel ceramics was just emerging; the first mention of this decorative style of pottery – which takes its name from the village of Gzhel – was found in the testament of Grand Prince Ivan Kalita in 1328. The museum's collection offers a precious glimpse into the creative world of Gzhel artisans and their unique style and methods, including the so-called 'smear the shadows' technique, when a squirrel brush is used to make a series of strokes of different tonal range, from deep to light, as if deliberately creating a shadow.

The collection, which covers the entire history of this craft in Russia, shows there is much more to Gzhel ceramics than the mundane pottery seen in souvenir shops, but fabulous chess sets, icons, clocks, phones, samovars, miniature sculptures and genre paintings of the finest quality.