The museum contains over 4,000 exhibits on decorative art in Uzbekistan, including wood carving, ceramics, embossing, jewelry, gold weaving, embroidery, and samples of mass production in local industry.

Until the beginning of the 21st century, the museum was located in the former palace of the Russian diplomat Alexander Alexandrovich Polovtsev Jr.

The museum building, known as the Polovtsev house, was purchased by his secretary Mikhail Stepanovich Andreev from Tashkent merchant Nikolai Ivanovich Ivanov.

Under Andreev's guidance, the interiors of the house were readjusted and refurbished to fit an Oriental style.

Subsequently, various organizations operated out of the house, including a training center for ganch carving and embossing, as well as an embroidery workshop.