General Info

Rattan (from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Most rattans are distinct from other palms in having slender stems 2-5 cm diameter with long internodes between the leaves; their consequent growth habit also differs, not being trees but vine-like, scrambling through and over other vegetation. They are also superficially similar to bamboo, but distinct in that the stems ("malacca") are solid, rather than hollow, and also in their need for some sort of support; while bamboo can grow on its own, rattan cannot. Some genera (e.g. Metroxylon, Pigafetta, Raphia) are however more like typical palms, with stouter, erect trunks. Many rattans are also spiny, the spines acting as hooks to aid climbing over other plants, and also to deter herbivores. Rattans have been known to grow up to hundreds of metres long. Most (70%) of the world's rattan population exist in Indonesia, distributed among Borneo, Celebes, Sumbawa islands. The rest of the world's supply comes from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

A Brief History

There are indications that rattan has been used since the early days of mankind for the production of furniture, though no exact historical data exists. It was originally exported from Indonesia, where it predominately grows, and eventually reached the shores of China. There, skilled craftsman built not only furniture but also baskets and other household items.

It is widely accepted that from China rattan then entered Japan where, within a short time, it became very popular too. It was the Japanese who honed the art of modern rattan furniture. Several production centres developed in Japan and rattan furniture was and remains highly popular in Japanese households.

Singapore, due to its proximity to Indonesia and the availability of skilled craftsmen from China, developed into South East Asia's rattan furniture production centre. Until the late 1980s, Singapore was probably the biggest exporter of rattan furniture. Manufacturing came to a sudden end when Indonesia's government decided to stop exporting raw rattan. However, a lot of rattan is still traded and exported. Bali these days has a large market share predominantly due to the availability of raw materials within Indonesia and the extremely skilled craftsman.

The British and the Dutch, who held large colonies in South East Asia, were the early traders of rattan. Europe generally imported rattan as finished furniture from Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia. Europe itself did not produce any significant rattan furniture despite its popularity. Rattan furniture is still very popular in Europe and demand for well-crafted and well-designed pieces remains constantly high.

Rattan Care

Rattan and wicker frames require very little maintenance. Dusting with a soft damp cloth or vacuuming with a brush attachment will keep your furniture looking good.
Spills should be taken care of immediately before they harden or stain, by wiping with a damp sponge and a little detergent.
Rattan poles can easily be touched up with premium wood stains, gloss lacquers or furniture touch up pens available from local home improvement centres.

Design Your Own Furniture Range

From concept to design to completed product. Our design team can provide exclusive designs and product ranges to meet your requirements. This service includes, design and sample production. You may also provide us with your own designs as a basic drarwing or completed working document. We can manufacture in Rattan, Wood or a mixture of both Rattan & Wood, it's your choice!

 We lookforward to being of service to you.

VGP Marketing team.