Caned chairs and canapés were extremely fashionable under Louis XV, and they were fitted with loose seat cushions. The frames were generally made of beech, walnut, or cherry.
There were almost one hundred exotic woods, covering practically the entire range of different colours used in marquetry work.
Cherry wood, which has a fine grain and is a good medium for carving, was used for chairs, tables, commodes, cupboards and other similar articles. The wood was often painted or in gold leaf. Considerable bronze ornamentation was an essential part of some items.
Rocks and shells with foliage and flowers dominated the theme of the ornament with blossoms, sprays and tendrils, reeds, branches of palm and laurel.
The acanthus leaf, originated in ancient Greece, often elaborately serrated and fringed became very long and narrow.
Especially fashionable themes were musical instruments, such as the violin, flageolet and tambourine, hunting and fishing, symbols of love, such as bows, arrows and torches, and pastoral emblems, such as crooks and the large straw hats of shepherdesses.