Collections, forming the ancient Belarusian art collection, in the museum are exceedingly varied and rich in contents. This monuments created on length of a great historical time limits- from grey antiquity of early feudal society, heritage of Polotsk and Turov-Pinsk principalities of the 10-12th cc. - till epoch of baroque enlightenment of the 18th century and even first half the 19th century. Collection of the ancient Belarusian decorative-applied art has particularly wide temporary borders. It includes archeological discoveries with excavations of the ancient Belarusian cities of the 10-16th cc. - domestic subjects, which in its performance gain the nature of real works of the medieval craft - chess figures, home glass dishes, beads, embellishments, these are splendid samples sacral religious art - stone carved underwear icons, crosses- encolpion, as well as works of the Belarusian gold smiths - artists-jewellers of the 16-18th centuries: lithurgical келихи, chalices, monstrances, Gospel covers, chasubles - metallic cases for icons, votive silver plates. The collection also includes samples of weaving and embroidery of  the 17- early 19th centuries: orthodox and roman catholic church chasubles from fabric of the European and local production, samples of the famous Slutsk belts of the second half of the 18- early 19th centuries, belts of Grodno manufacturings.

 In the 17th century enormous popularity has gained "Belarusian carving". Belarusian master-carvers on wood and on gold created the remarkable altars and iconostasis not only on the native land, but also in Moscow state. The museum in their own funds and exhibitions have samples of such artistic masrepieces, as Holy Gates from iconostasis, carved rows, baroque  картуши, decorated by a raised cutted carving, as well as by scenes, executed in горельефной technology and round, three-dementional sculpture. The collection of sculpture and carving of  the ancient Belarusian art collection  of the museum contains such masterpieces of wooden plastics and sculptures of Belarus, as Holy Gates of the late 16th century from Voronilovichi, two late gothic sculptures of  archangels from small villages of Shereshevo and Yalovo, baroque sculptures from Polotsk and Kobrin.

 The collection of the ancient Belarusian icon painting and sacral painting - is one of most valuable in our country. This is the largest  collection of the masterpieces of the Belarusian icon painting in Belarus. It displays the history of the development of original religious painting, history of the Belarusian icon from the late 15th century (image of The Virgin Hodigitria of Slutsk) till the early 19th century. The monuments of the early 19th century still save the traditional line of the classical Belarusian icon: carved gilded and silverred backgrounds, especial iconic plots and images. Pearls of the collection of the ancient Belarusian icon painting - icons "Christ Pantocrator" from Byten and "The Virgin Hodigitria" from Dubenets - masterpieces of the second half 16th century, "The Ascension of Christ" mid  of the 17th century from Bezdezh, "The Nativity of the Virgin" 1649 by Pyotr Ovsiyevich from Golynets.

 It is known that Belarusian artists of the 16- early 18th centuries, as a rule, did not sign their own works. However, there is several works in the collection of the museum, by inscriptions on which it is possible to know the name of their authors - artists of the 18- early 19th centuries: Vasily Markiyanovich from Slutsk, Foma Silinich from Mogilev.

 In respect of the mundane portrait painting, which forms in the ancient Belarusian art collection of the museum a separate collection, it is possible to name more names of the artists - their creators: artists of the 17th century, who worked in Nesvizh and Vilno - Daniel Shults and Iogann Shretter, in Vroclav and Gdansk - Bartholomey Strobel, in the 18th century in Nesvizh - Yuzef Ksavery Geski. The basis of the portrait collection of the ancient Belarusian art collection of the museum constitute the portraits former Radziwill collection of their Nesvizh Castle. It is complemented by so called "Sarmatian portraits" - portrait scenes of the Belarusian members of shlyahta in traditional "Sarmatian" suits from different private homestead galleries and Grodno Priory of бригиток (portraits Kshishtof and Alexander-Marianna Veselovskis and their step daughter Grizelda Sapega). The branch of the museum "The Wankowiczes' House" has a constant exhibition of the part of portrait collection of the ancient Belarusian art collection - from samples of the 17th century till homestead portraits of the 19th century, where features of conventionality and representiveness traditional for Belarusian Sarmatian portrait are saved: family coats of arms and informative inscriptions, conditional motions, frozen facial expression, especial attention are paid to the details of the suit.

 The largest part of the ancient Belarusian art collection of the museum, which, except for the above named, includes also collection of the handwritten books and старопечатей, was found during expedition of the museum around Belarus and has been included in the museum funds in 1970-1990-s, basically from closed Russian and Roman catholic churches. Many works had significant damages. They were studiously consolidated by the restorers and presently, in spite of fragmentary safety, delight us with harmony of paints and accuracy of drawing.

 There are monuments in the ancient Belarusian art collection, which have entered in the museum collections of Belarus as far back as 1920-s, escaped injury during Great Patriotic war, and returned after it from abroad. In the second half 1940-s - 1960-s they were returned in the art museum, having made foundation of the ancient Belarusian art museum collection.

 With the most valuable masterpieces of the ancient Belarusian art collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus it is possible to get acquainted at its constant or temporary exhibitions.