The History of Wicker Furniture.

Using wicker and cane is a genuinely ancient craft, items such as naturally woven chests were crafted some 2,000 years BC. Slightly more recently Moses, as a baby was placed in a woven basket and new born babies still use Moses baskets today.

Rattan and cane are the chief source deriving from wickerwork, wicker meaning ‘small, pliant twig’- deriving from the Swedish word ‘wika’.

Wicker, cane and rattan furniture have been in and out of fashion for centuries, and although associated generally with conservatory furniture it is currently enjoying a trend for being in vogue again, particularly for the conservatory and as dining room furniture. Rattan has a unique beauty when seen in a completed item. Traditional skills are still used and these combined with the natural elements, produce uniquely crafted furniture items.

The Wicker Furniture Manufacturing Process

Wicker, cane and rattan are essentially the same – spiny climbing palms that can attain lengths of over 185 meters as they reach for sunlight through the jungle canopy.

Rattan and cane can be challenging collect to harvest. After gathering the raw material there is quite a lengthy process before it turns into a beautiful piece of furniture. The wicker after collections is boiled in water to kill off any creatures or insects that might still be alive from the jungle.

The canes are then ready to be peeled and stripped of outer skin. Often with much cheaper furniture, cane is used unpeeled, which has quite a rough bumpy finish. For a much more attractive and quality finish, the skin is peeled. Firstly this is done by hand, to get rid of big pieces and then by machine, which strips the edges and leaves a smooth rounded pole. The lengths of cane are then graded according to thickness and age. Our own furniture manufacturers use only the best grades of cane, producing top quality and long last furniture.

The lengths of cane are then put into large troughs of shallow water which is heated from underneath by coals or placed in a sort of steaming oven, until the canes are flexible and supple. The cane poles are then joined by binding with strips of leather or rattan.

The thinner pieces of cane that are used for weaving are called ‘rattan core’, these are often used for intricate designs and very creative areas. This is a highly specialised skill – a beautiful and neatly woven piece of furniture can really be a work of art.

Before the wicker furniture is coloured, a final stage has to be carried out. Rattan and cane has fine hairs that need to be removed. They can be first sanded and then any awkward ones can literally be plucked off with tweezers.

Wicker furniture is then finished with a single colour wash, or lacquer. This is done simply by hanging the frames and then spraying or dipping. To complete the process a lacquer is applied to give a matt or gloss finish. Once dry, the wicker furniture is then carefully packed for protection, prior to shipping to the UK.

Importantly the harvesting of rattan in the forests of south East Asia is environmentally friendly. Much of the rattan used in the creation of cane furniture derives from the biggest supplier in the world – Indonesia. This accounts for 70% of the global trade and is renowned for high quality rattan plants.

The good news is that rattan is a promising crop because it grows very fast – in areas that cannot support other land products, for example those that remain under flood waters for long periods of time.

The real beauty of cane is that as far as conservation issues are concerned is that rattan can only grow among existing trees, so it can be claimed to encourage the preservation of forests. It ‘hugs’ the trees and saves them from the logger’s axe by providing equal or more benefit than the companion tree, without disturbing the natural habitat.

Ecologically, rattan is very important. It grows in degraded forests and in marginal soil. It can also be introduced artificially in natural forests without disturbing the existing structure and balance.

Wicker and rattan are a very strong and durable material is an ideal resource for creating beautiful cane furniture, that’s easy to care for and will give much pleasure. 2furnish use only the very best materials.

The source and environmental benefits relating to rattan are very important to 2furnish. They offer an excellent quality product, which is also reflected in the service they provide. 2furnish place great emphasis in ensuring these standards are achieved throughout the entire process, from the sourcing of the best raw materials to delivery of a quality piece of beautiful rattan furniture, into the home of one of their customers.