The exhibition presents in a modern arrangement some 1,900 exhibits selected from the Museum's entire collection of ancient art. These collections are divided in 9 halls thematically and geographically, presenting 3 main blocks related to ancient civilisations: ancient Egypt (Halls 1-3), the Near East (Hall 4) and ancient Greece and Rome (Halls 4-9). The cross-section of time presented by the objects is very broad. The collection shows a cross-section of ancient history from the Younger Stone Age (Neolithic) to Late Antiquity (the times of Emperor Constantine the Great and Theodosius).

The artefacts on permanent display are dated from the 8th millennium BC to the 5th century AD. Separate showcases are occupied by examples of modern art inspired by antiquity (both Greece and Rome, as well as Egypt) from the 18th and 19th centuries, to show the continuation of certain trends, themes and to emphasise the fascination with ancient civilisations. The visitor to the new Gallery of Ancient Art will find both Egyptian mummies (human and animal) and sarcophagi, tomb furnishings of important Egyptian officials (beds, urns, Uszebti figures, vessels), tomb portraits (including the Portrait of the Boy of the Fayum) parts of tomb and temple architecture (columns, capitals, the 'Blind Gate'), cuneiform tablets, seals, weapons, coins, sculptures, ancient glass and ceramics, mosaics, as well as inscriptions in various ancient languages (Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Punic and Akkadian). The classic form of presenting the collections is complemented by multimedia installations, e.g. discussing the seals of the ancient Near East or, the largest collection of ancient vases in Poland.

Most of the artefacts in the Gallery of Ancient Art belong to the collection of the MNW. They include gifts from private individuals (e.g. Władysław Semerau-Siemianowski) and institutions (UNESCO), as well as works purchased by the Museum. Some of the objects come from collections that after 1945 became part of the holdings of the National Museum in Warsaw, such as the Radziwiłłs from Nieborów, the Potockis from Jabłonna or the Czartoryskis from Gołuchów, as well as pre-war German collections, including those from Silesia, Königsberg and Braniewo, which were created on the basis of purchases on the antiquarian market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition also includes works from the collection of the Louvre Museum, some of which have been kept at the MNW since 1960. Numerous objects come from Polish excavations carried out at a time when the law allowed some of the finds discovered in the course of archaeological work to be divided up and donated.

The greatest achievements of Polish archaeology are connected with the person of Professor Kazimierz Michałowski (1901-1981), associated with the National Museum of Art and the University of Warsaw. The scientist led many archaeological missions in Europe and Africa, such as in Edfu (1937-1938), Myrmekion (1950s), Tell al-Atrib (work begun in the 1950s) and Faras (1961-1964), directed by Prof. Michałowski. Objects from these excavations can be admired today at the Gallery of Ancient Art. The monuments of ancient art in the Gallery's permanent exhibition reflect the richness of ancient civilisations, their achievements, and illustrate various aspects of people's everyday life: from religion and state and imperial administration to entertainment and food preparation. They invite visitors to travel back in time and view the history of human history.