period piece

noun

1. something, as a novel, painting, or building, of interest or value primarily because it evokes or epitomizes a particular period of history.

period piece

noun

1. an object, a piece of music, a play, etc, valued for its quality of evoking a particular historical period: often one regarded as of little except historical interest

Word History and Origins

Origin of period piece¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

This type of period piece can often feel artificial, even or especially on a big budget.

From Los Angeles Times

Both are period pieces, set in the later decades of the 20th century, and both feature actors who have been in “Game of Thrones,” though the odds of that happening are, after all, relatively high.

From Los Angeles Times

“Romulus,” he thinks, is a period piece in which retro technology is taken from that period in the franchise’s timeline.

From Los Angeles Times

Both Harris and Zollar emphasized that the work is not a period piece.

From New York Times

"I just was blown away. I thought it was so funny, that it was a crazy way to tell a period piece."

From Salon