What period is this piece of furniture from?
E-po-ca — three syllables; stress on the first. 'Ep' starts with an open 'e' — do not add a vowel before it.
Use this when you want to know the approximate historical period of an item. Period (epoca) is a key factor in antique valuation alongside authenticity and condition.
'Di che epoca' (of what period/era) is a standard museum/antique question. 'Periodo' is also used. Sellers at antique markets use Italian historical period names: Rinascimento (Renaissance), Barocco (Baroque), Settecento (18th century), Ottocento (19th century), Liberty (Art Nouveau), Déco (Art Deco), Vintage (mid-20th century).
È del Settecento o dell'Ottocento?
Is it from the 18th or 19th century?
Narrowing down between two periods based on your observation
Questo è in stile Liberty?
Is this in Liberty style?
Liberty = Italian Art Nouveau (after Liberty & Co. of London)
Direi che è degli anni Cinquanta — mi sbaglio?
I'd say it's from the fifties — am I wrong?
Showing your own knowledge invites respect and honest dialogue
Italians use ordinal numbers to refer to centuries: Ottocento (800s/19th century), Settecento (700s/18th century), Novecento (900s/20th century). This can confuse English speakers who associate 'eight hundred' with the 9th century. The naming refers to the century's starting digit.