What is Rattan and Wicker?
Wicker is a general term used to describe woven products. Wicker includes natural materials such as rattan, willow, seagrass, rush and palm, but it may also refer to synthetic materials.
Rattan is a palm that is used to produce robust and attractive baskets. The word ‘rattan’ comes from the Malayan rotan, which is the name for about 600 species of palm (Calameae) that grow in tropical climates, particularly Indonesia, where our baskets are sourced.
Rattan has a vine-like habit, growing to several hundred metres as it climbs up and through the trees to reach the light. As a resource it is extremely useful because the incredibly long stems are flexible, with a solid core, and have a uniform diameter along their entire length. The outer layer, or ‘peel’, of the vine is removed and can be used to bind the rattan core, or as a weaving material in itself.
Rattan is dependent on forests, and it is Indonesia’s second most important forest product after timber. With the logging of many forested areas, however, the natural habitat of rattan has decreased, leading to a shortage, but the Forestry Department of Indonesia has become actively involved in a cultivation programme to ensure long-term supplies. Rattan grows more quickly than the trees through which it climbs and is also easier to harvest.