In 17th and 18th century France, wood marquetry became a primary mode of expressing wealth and status. Characterized by the use of rare woods to depict romantic scenery, exotic flowers, leaves, and birds, the art required skill and creativity, passed down through generations of wood craftsmen. The technique involved covering a basic structure with a veneer of panels and patterns, minute in detail, to form what appeared to be paintings in wood.

Not restricted to the use of wood, Marquetry detail could be rendered in mother of pearl, tortoise shell, ivory, brass, and other fine materials. Outstanding for craftsmanship and design, French marquetry antiques are now sought after commodities, and there is perhaps no more delightful place to find these cultural treasures than in the flea markets of Paris.

Faience, denoting the town of Faenza, Italy, is the name given to a fourth generation decorative tradition brought to France by the Italians. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, faienceries produced distinctive, tin-glazed ceramic goods for the noble and fashionable elite of France. Initially, nearly identical in model and design to Italian, French faience gradually assumed features that were more natively French.

The decorative innovations owed in part to the influence of imported wares from China and Persia, whose particular styles were then more freely interpreted in terms of motif and color choice. Formalized patterns in rich blue-on-white backgrounds were developed in Nevers, a major historical center of production, and as well in Rouen, Strasbourg, and Lyon.

In faienceries throughout France, Italian designs were superseded by designs in the paler colors and with finer lines, which can still be seen in wares produced today. The southern cities of Marseilles, Moustiers, and Montpellier, and the particular charm of their wares, also share an honored place in the history of French pottery.