Rattan an unsurpassed material
I was wondering why rattan has been such an enduring and ubiquitous material for basket weaving. And then I began thinking about balloon baskets and a little research led me to a well-known hot air balloon specialist in the US which offers us this explanation:
“With so many new synthetic materials to choose from, why still use wicker?
It is still the best choice for strength, flexibility, impact-absorbency, and ease of repair as well as being lightweight. It doesn’t shatter in extremely cold temperatures or upon impacting very rigid surfaces! The wicker, rather than you and your passengers, will absorb much of the shock on landing. And it is aesthetically quite pleasing. Wicker (Rattan) is a natural material grown in Southeast Asia. Only the finest quality cane, Kubu, Pallan Bang and natural Manau rattans are used for the primary construction”
I should perhaps mention at this point that wicker is a generic term that is used for a variety of natural materials the principal of these being rattan and willow
So what has this got to do with our dog baskets or indeed all our rattan baskets?
Well of course there is durability – with a little care one of our kubu Rattan dog baskets will last for decades or several canine generations. This thought fills me both with foreboding and comfort:
Foreboding because at some point our best friends make their way to doggy heaven and this is always a loss hard to bear because of the very special friendship we have with them.
Comfort because the basket is a handmade symbol of continuity and life’s interconnections that reminds us of the cyclical nature of existence as one generation makes way for another.
So while your common-place unhygienic, stuffed fabric bed makes its way to landfill after a year or two a Kosmopolitan basket will last for decades and is of course is biodegradable.
A rattan pet bed is also inherently hygienic.
It can be washed, dusted or vacuumed and disinfected with ease as long as it is dried well before use. And of course then there the aesthetic qualities of a beautifully hand woven item.
Our Dog beds are very “handsome“ as we say down here in Cornwall. In my opinion the most desirable objects are also practical as form follows function. And last but not least Rattan is a sustainable material principally grown in South East Asia. It is a creeping vine which requires trees to provide support. In other words it needs forests to grow in.
So rest assured, when you buy a Kosmopolitan Dog Bed you will be getting a beautiful, practical, sustainable product that you and yours will delight in for many years to come.