Museum of Applied Arts

The Museum of Applied Art ( Serbian: Музеј примењене уметности / Muzej primenjene umetnosti ) is an art museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It holds more than 37,000 works of applied art that trace the development of the field across roughly 2,400 years, from Ancient Greek coins of the 4th century BC to contemporary pieces. Founded in 1950, it is one of the principal institutions of its kind in the country and serves as a center for research, conservation, and public education in applied arts.

The museum was founded on 6 November 1950. In its earliest years, it acquired a foundational collection of over 3,000 artifacts from Ljuba Ivanović, a painter and graphic artist, which helped establish its initial holdings. The institution was created in the postwar period as part of broader efforts to preserve and study Serbia's material culture and decorative arts heritage. Over the decades, it has developed specialized departments and expanded its collections through acquisitions and donations. The museum also participates in international digital initiatives; since 2015 it has contributed to the Europeana Fashion digital library project, making portions of its holdings accessible online.

The museum's collections are organized across seven departments: Metal and Jewelry; Textile and Costume; Period Furniture and Wood; Photography and Print Room; Ceramics, Porcelain and Glass; Contemporary Applied Art; and Architecture, Urbanism and Architectural Design. These departments reflect the breadth of the museum's mission to document applied art across multiple media and historical periods. In addition to its curatorial divisions, the museum maintains five specialized support departments: Central Documentation, Conservation, Education, Communication, and Library. The holdings span from ancient numismatics to modern design, with particular strength in objects that illustrate the technical and aesthetic evolution of decorative arts in Serbia and Europe.

Among the most historically significant items in the museum are the Ancient Greek coins from the 4th century BC, which constitute the oldest artifacts in the collection.Beyond ancient numismatics, the museum holds the Belgrade Armorial II, a notable heraldic manuscript that forms part of its distinguished holdings in graphic and documentary materials.

The museum is housed in the former Čelebonović Palace at 18 Vuka Karadžića Street in the Stari Grad municipal district of central Belgrade. The building was constructed between 1927 and 1929 in an academic style. Stevan Belić designed the overall project, Nikola Krasnov designed the facade, and Neregar executed the interior decoration. The structure consists of a ground floor and two upper floors. Following the Second World War, the building was occupied by the Serbian Ministry of Construction before being adapted for museum use.

The Museum of Applied Art is located in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, at 18 Vuka Karadžića Street in the Stari Grad municipality. Its official website is http://www.mpu.rs/. The institution operates as a public museum and continues to fulfill its founding mission of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting applied art while serving as an educational resource. It remains active in international collaboration, including digital partnerships that extend access to its collections beyond physical visitation.