Museum of Jewellery Art (MoJA)

ul. 27 Grudnia 17/19 , City Centre (+48) 697 50 00 29 27 May 2026

This truly excellent museum - showcasing contemporary Polish and global ethnic goldsmithing - treats jewellery as an expressive art form shaped by culture, identity and emotion.

Founded by Maria Magdalena Kwiatkiewicz, the co-founder of Poznań’s-own YES jewellery brand, MoJA represents over 25 years of travels and stories. Since 1998 her love of encountering new people, cultures and traditions have combined with her passions for photography and jewellery to lay the foundations of this impressive collection. During travels that have taken her to Africa, Asia, South America, Oceania and beyond, Kwiatkiewicz has acquired over 900 objects from local artisans that today represent a sort of unique travel diary illustrated in jewellery. These objects, alongside Kwiatkiewicz’s extraordinary photographs comprise the first half of the museum’s exhibits: ‘Jewellery of the World - A Record of Encounters & Cultural Stories.’

Maria Magdalena Kwiatkiewicz (centre) - founder of YES jewellery and MoJA.

Beautifully presented in glass displays, with many more items in sliding drawers, each object is carefully annotated in both Polish and English, with most also including a QR code which you can follow for even more context and information. In fact, the sheer volume of these captivating, often colourful objects and the info alongside them almost overwhelms one’s ability to fully appreciate each one individually. That said, it is not difficult to imagine Kwiatkiewicz being transfixed by each one upon first encounter. Organised by region, the collection allows guests to compare the relationship with jewellery and ornamentation in cultures from around the world, and observe their diversity.

Not only a lover of travel and jewellery, but also an avid photographer, the museum includes Kwiatkiewicz’s incredible image collection, which also holds significant aesthetic and ethnographic value. Navigable on a large touchscreen display, these photojournals are easy to miss if you don’t stop to browse through the folders, but some of them are truly stunning and worth the effort.

It’s not all ethnographic jewellery, however. The second, even larger part of the exhibit (1600 objects!) features Contemporary Polish Jewellery divided into two main categories (with many subcategories): Form and Narrative. Included in the first are objects of technical mastery and also experimentation with a wide variety of materials, shapes and textures. In the latter, function and practicality take a back seat to storytelling, emotions and socio-political commentary. Visitors will see fantastic exhibits of amber, striped flint (a uniquely Polish stone), folk jewellery, feminist jewellery, political jewellery, PRL jewellery, a brief history of YES jewellery and much, much more. There is an extensive amount of video content and even a mock-up of a craftsman’s workshop at the end. Although not large, you can spend quite a lot of time exploring the expertly designed exhibits and interactive displays.

And that’s only the ticketed area. The admission-free front reception area of the museum includes changing temporary exhibits, a brief history of jewellery beginning with the Egyptians, a kids corner and ‘Sales Zone’ where you can browse and purchase artistic jewellery by Polish makers. Even here, however, the creator comes first, with each case dedicated to a different artist, amnd including a brief bio.

What’s more, the space hosts jewellery workshops, lectures and other events as part of the museum’s public programme. The very committed staff are also eager to show visitors around the exhibits and give further context on the collections. All told, this comprehensive museum impresses with its ambition, professionalism, design and detail, raising Polish jewellery design into the fine arts, and offering one of Poznań’s most surprising artistic experiences.

Average visiting time: 40mins.

Poznań

Museum of Jewellery Art (MoJA)

This truly excellent museum - showcasing contemporary Polish and global ethnic goldsmithing - treats jewellery as an expressive art form shaped by culture, identity and emotion.

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