Cane couch. Culture: American. Dimensions: 40 1/2 x 60 x 21 1/2 in. (102.9 x 152.4 x 54.6 cm). Date: 1690-1710.Although referred to by the English as a couch, this one-ended caned seat was a form favored in France and sometimes referred to as a "lit de repose," or daybed. It probably served a dual purpose--as an extra bed at night and extra seating during the day. The seat is softened by a "squab," or generously stuffed mattress. Cane couches often were accompanied by sets of cane chairs, as in the Wentworth Room. In 1717, a New England man named John Welland noted that his principal room held "a Cane Couch, Squab & pillow" along with an "Elbow & 6 small cane chairs.". Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.