Is this piece Art Deco or Art Nouveau?
dé-CO — the accent on 'Dé' marks the stress; 'co' has a hard 'k'. In Italian the French accent is usually kept.
Use this to get clarification on stylistic period — a fundamental distinction for dating and valuing decorative art pieces.
Art Nouveau (Liberty in Italian, c.1890–1914) is characterised by organic, curved, plant-inspired forms. Art Déco (c.1920–1940) is characterised by geometric, symmetrical, bold forms. In Italian: 'stile floreale' (flowery style) = Liberty; 'stile geometrico' or 'modernismo' can describe Déco. The transition pieces (c.1915–1920) can be ambiguous.
Le forme curve mi fanno pensare al Liberty.
The curved shapes make me think of Liberty.
Sharing your observation — invites dialogue with the dealer
Il Déco italiano è diverso da quello francese?
Is Italian Deco different from French Deco?
Yes — Italian Déco has its own character, often called 'Novecento' style
Questa è maiolica Déco?
Is this Deco majolica?
Déco Italian ceramics from Faenza and Deruta are highly collectible
Italy's relationship with Art Deco was shaped by the Fascist regime, which promoted a nationalist version of modernism called 'Novecento Italiano'. Italian Deco thus has a distinctive flavour — more monumental and classical than French Deco. Key Italian Deco designers include Gio Ponti (ceramics and furniture), Fortunato Depero (graphics), and Guido Andloviz (Lenci ceramics).