Classic Furniture - Antique Wicker Furniture

While people generally think of wicker furniture as being solely made out of rattan, the fact is that wicker can be made of any plant fibers which have been woven together. With rattan, the rattan’s stalk’s cores are used to form the wicker weave while other parts of different plants are used throughout the globe to create wicker furniture.

Although it was commonly used for baskets in ancient times, wicker has now gained popularity through furniture, as it provides a durable surface while still allowing for ample amounts of comfort. Wicker furniture first took form as chests and chairs until its popularity exploded during the mid eighteen hundreds. 

Wicker furniture is most commonly constructed from rattan, which is a vine found in various parts of Asia.  Due to the solid core of its vines, rattan has claimed its place as the most durable and usable of all plants made into wicker furniture. The stems of rattan, called the canes, can also be used for making strong wicker furniture.

The cane, due to its yellowish color, is commonly used in stained wicker pieces. Although not as strong as rattan, bamboo is also found in most wicker. It grows much more quickly than rattan, allowing it to be harvested much more often. However, it lacks rattan’s strength due to its hollow core. Willow from Europe and certain parts of the United States have also been used in making wicker furniture. It has the fast growth properties of bamboo and the strength of rattan. Furthermore, it can stay moist for long periods of time so it can be easily woven together, making it an ideal wood for wicker furniture production.

Recently, due to the cultural revival of wicker, prices have risen on antique wicker products. Foremost, antique pieces from the Arts and Crafts movement and from the Heywood-Wakefield company in Massachusetts have greatly increased in value.