Otherwise known as the Corporation des Menuisiers, the French Makers Guild was the collaborative effort of 18th Century Parisian craftsmen, artists and furniture designers who worked to the highest of woodworking standards; strictly enforcing quality regulations set out by the guild.

The guild created some of the most beautiful and unique furniture not only in France, but in the world, so much so that the pieces created by them still yield a strong resonance in style and design today.

To be accepted into the guild, a furniture maker had to have at least six full years of training that lead to a special degree of technical ability; ensuring a very high and unique standard of work.

The schooling was rigorous, with a trainee spending the first three years in the workshop of a master furniture maker, followed by another three years spent as a journeyman.

That wasn't all however, in order to become a master of the craft and to fully join the guild; the trainee would then have to prove his competence by crafting a masterpiece of furniture.

Only when that was complete would the maker be able to own his own shop (if such a vacancy was available) and had paid the necessary fees. Unfortunately for many, there were in fact only a set amount of places within the guild, so even after a maker has completed all the necessary tasks, acceptance was unfortunately not guaranteed.

Once that a member was accepted, he would have to maintain his skill and ability to create beautiful pieces of furniture.

According to Daniëlle O. Kisluk-Grosheide of The Metropolitan Museum of Art:

  • rom 1743 onward, it became the rule to stamp every piece of furniture that was offered for sale with the maker's name.

"An additional stamp, JME (for jurande des menuisiers-ébénistes), would be added once a committee, made up of elected guild members who inspected the workshops four times a year, had approved the quality. Any furniture that failed to meet the required standards of craftsmanship was confiscated."

The guild itself was divided into two trades, one for the craftsmen who made panelling for buildings and another for the actual furniture makers.

Besides the Corporation des Menuisiers, there were two other groups of furniture makers active outside of Paris, including the royal cabinetmakers who were free from the guild regulations.

Unfortunately for the Furniture Makers Guild, everything came to an end in 1791 during to the French Revolution; ending one of the most beautiful and prolific periods in furniture history.