The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Rattan isn’t the same aswickeror bamboo, so what is rattan?
When rattan is harvested, it is cut into 13-foot lengths, and the dry sheathing is removed.
Its stems are dried in the sun and stored for seasoning.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Wicker refers to the weaving process, not an actual plant or material.
Introduced to the West during the early 19th century, rattan has become the standard material for caning.
Rattan’s Attributes
Its popularity as a material for furnitureboth outdoor and indooris unmistakable.
Able to be bent and curved, rattan takes on many wonderful sinuous forms.
As a material, rattan is lightweight and almost impervious and is easy to move and handle.
It can withstand extreme conditions of humidity and temperature and has a natural resistance to insects.
When the outer bark of the rattan plant is used, it is referred to as rattan cane.
This material is not as porous as standard rattan, so it holds up better in damp environments likebathrooms.
A few bamboo furniture manufacturers incorporated rattan poles for their smoothness and added strength.
When furniture requires more strength, they are usually made of regular rattan.
Rattan cane is also less porous and requires less treatment.
This makes it ideal for environments of high humidity.
What Is Wicker?
The term wicker actually refers to a process, not a material.
Other possible wicker materials include bamboo, reed,water hyacinth, and willow.
Previously, much of the commercially harvested raw vine was exported to overseas manufacturers.
Until recently, almost all rattan was collected from tropical rainforests.
Rattan furniture and other rattan pieces are usually more expensive than wicker.
Rattan keeps forests standing in Borneo.
