Rattan (Calamus rotang)
Rattan evokes tropical climates and hand-crafted outdoor furniture. There are over 600 species of rattan, a vine-like climbing plant that is characterized by its slender, long and flexible stems. Rattan is in fact the plant with the world’s longest stems, reaching up to 200 metres (656 feet). It is the length and strength of these stems that is exploited by weaving rattan into its many applications, the most notable of which being domestic furniture.
The vine is derived from the palm of the fast-growing Calamus rotang plant. The stems are stripped of their skin and this skin is used for weaving. The stems are subsequently left to cure in the sun and, depending on the species and thickness of the vine, these go through ...
Get Materials for Design now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
