A marchand-mercier literally means a merchant of goods. While these men in the 18th century, were shopkeepers, their role in the decoration of Paris homes was often much more involved than that might imply. In fact, they served as general contractors, assembling pieces of the most fashionable furniture, and often, in addition, worked outside of their shops as interior decorators, responsible for many aspects of a room's decor. In Paris, the guild system, in place since the late Middle Ages, prohibited a craftsman from working with a material with which they had not undergone a formal apprenticeship. Only a marchand-mercier who worked outside of the guild system, therefore, could mount Chinese porcelains with gilt-bronze handles and stands, fit the cabinetmaker's furniture with Japanese lacquer or Sevres porcelain plaques, and supply furniture with opulent gilt-bronze (or ormolu mounts. (Note that there were certain cabinetmakers who, either by license of the king or due to their status as non-French nationals, worked outside of the guild system.)