Cane and wicker, two pliable yet durable materials that can be woven rather than joined, have long been used to make practical, lightweight furniture.
Canework first came to Britain in the middle of the 17th century, when the East India Company began importing rattan from Malaya.
Rattan, a vine of the buckthorn family, produced long, whippy, woody stems. The outer bark, which was covered with barbs, was removed, and the hard, shiny inner bark was shaved off and interwoven to make attractive, fine mesh panels that wet set into seat furniture.
The new material’s popularity was boosted in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London in 1666. So much furniture was destroyed in the conflagration that cane manufacturers could barely cope with the soaring demand.
In the 18th century, cane increased in popularity. Sheraton advised its use anywhere where a combination of lightness, elasticity and durability was required.
In the 19th century, its uses were expanded to take in such items as bed ends and cribs. It was boosted further with the introduction by Thonet of new methods for making bentwood furniture. His chairs often had backs and seats of cane on a bentwood frame.
Caned bergere armchairs were popular through to the 1930s, and cane was much used in reproduction furniture.
Wicker Work
The core of the rattan canes left behind by the shaving was not wasted. Along with quantities of British grown willow and reed, it was used to make a considerable amount of lightweight wicker or basket-weave furniture.
Wicker furniture had been made since at least the Middle Ages; the technology had been known since pre-Roman times. It was essentially country furniture, and would not have been found in wealthy households.
Beds, cots and chairs made of plaited straw and osiers – stiff but flexible shoots harvested from pollarded willows – were the mainstay of the British peasantry.
In Victorian Britain, wickerwork moved up the social scale. Because of its lightness, it could be easily moved, and this, combined with its tolerance of damp, meant it was ideal for use in the gardens, conservatories and porches of the growing middle class. Sets of cane and wicker chairs and tables in these sunlit rooms made it possible to take meals there in some comfort.
Exotic new furniture shapes were developed, which included oriental motifs that were borrowed from popular items of colonial furniture, and wicker began to move inside the house, to the parlour, bedroom and nursery.
In the Edwardian period, there was a reaction away from the elaborate styling of the Victorians.
Fine weaving and simple, elegant forms became the order of the day, and cane and wicker both enjoyed a wide popularity throughout the house.
The introduction of furniture made by the Lloyd Loom process after World War 1 affected sales of traditional wicker furniture, but both are still made.
Collector’s Notes
Wicker was always made to be practical and hard-wearing, and many fine pieces have survived remarkably well from the Victorian and Edwardian period.
They tend not to be found in antique furniture shops, but can often be picked up at small auctions or house sales.
Furniture in poor condition, but needing only simple renovation, can often be bought at reasonable prices.
Most wicker furniture was meant to be painted. Sometimes this was done at the factory, while other pieces were supplied n their natural colours so they could be painted to match the decor of the buyer’s house.
The usual colour was white a fashion that took its cue from the hotter parts of the British Empire, where such items had to be painted white to prevent damage by strong sunlight.
Leicester was the centre of the British cane and wicker industry. The Dryad works, set up in1907, was the classic factory.
Other pieces were imported from the Empire, from Europe – particularly Germany and Austria – and from the USA.
The best American makers included Gustav Stickley, whose Craftsman range was well-made and reasonably priced, Heywood Brothers and the Wakefield Rattan Company. The last two merged in 1897.
Pieces by these factories will be well-made.
Check caned chair seats for fraying before buying. If the cane seems to be pulling away from he frame, it will need to be replaced. Re-caning is a job for professionals: look for advertisements in local newspapers.
Keep cane and wicker furniture clean by vacuuming it occasionally. Use a brush to get into difficult corners. You can wipe it clean with a damp rag, but do not over-soak it.
Cleaning & Preserving Wicker Furniture
Whether you have rattan, reed, willow, or bamboo, you should clean your wicker furniture on a regular basis. Vacuum loose dirt and go over the wicker with a sponge that’s been dampened with water and detergent. (Don’t dampen any wood.) In addition, you should give your wicker a special cleaning once a year.
Here’s how:
- Dust or vacuum away dirt.
- Scrub with warm water and detergent using a soft brush or sponge.
- Rinse with garden hose. (Only rinse painted furniture — wetting may crack and peel the paint.)
- Dry quickly — using the sun, a hair dryer, or a fan.
- Let dry completely — wait several days before using.
- Sand sharp or fuzzy strands with fine sandpaper.
Preserving Natural Wicker
When referring to wicker the term “natural” is used to designate any piece left unpainted. Originally natural wicker was either stained or coated with a light coat of clear varnish or lacquer.
After cleaning natural wicker you can maintain its natural light beige color by applying a coat of colorless lacquer to protect it from soil and wear. A thin solution of an acrylic resin (polyurethane varnish) will also provide a protective skin that will resist soiling.
It pays to take care of your wicker, especially a Heywood Brothers chair like this.
The History of Wicker
The word wicker is believed to be of Scandinavian origin: wika which means to bend in Swedish, and vikker meaning willow. Wicker is not a material in itself, but rather an overall classification of furniture woven from any one of a variety of materials.
Some of the more prominent materials being:
Rattan – presently the largest source used in the fabrication of wicker furniture. A climbing vine, native to the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia. It commonly grows to lengths of 600 feet and diameters between 1/8 of an inch to more than 2 inches. The harvesting of rattan occurs between 7 to 15 years from the start of the new growth. Within the family of rattan, there are several hundred varieties. Rattan, unlike bamboo is a solid core vine which makes it ideal for use in making sturdy furniture.
Cane – the stem of large rattans. It has a distinct joint where the palm leaf connects to the stem, and assumes a yellow color during the drying process. Fine cane can be used to make natural wicker or for stained pieces.
Bamboo – these are large tropical grasses which commonly grow to over 100 feet. Bamboo can also grow at a tremendous rate, sometimes over 36 inches a day. Most plants grow naturally in the warm regions of temperate climates. There are approximately 500 to 1000 varieties of bamboo. It is easiest to identify due to its nodular growth and hollow stem.
Reed – this is the name given to items made by weaving swamp grasses similar to straw. Sometimes the term is also used for the core of the rattan vine. Reed is the material used on the early American wicker chairs.
Willow – this grows in the northern countries of Europe and regions of North America. It has value due to its rapid growth and for the production of light durable wood. Willow retains its natural moisture which makes it long lasting and easily woven. It can be easily identified because the diameter of each strand becomes smaller near one end.
The oldest surviving pieces of wicker furniture date from the Egyptian Empire. These pieces include chests made of reed and rush, wig boxes of reed and papyrus, and wicker hassocks and chairs. The popularity of wicker in America began around 1850 and is today beginning to find itself in a rebirth of popularity.
Further Reading:
The Caner’s Handbook: A Descriptive Guide With Step-By-Step Photographs for Restoring Cane, Rush, Splint, Danish Cord, Rawhide, and Wicker Furniture by Jim Widess, Bruce Miller
Repairing and Restoring Antique Furniture by John Rodd
Making Bent Willow Furniture (The Rustic Home Series) by Brenda Cameron, Brian Cameron
Heywood-Wakefield Modern Furniture by Steven Rouland
Classic Wicker Furniture: The Complete 1898-1899 Illustrated Catalog by Heywood Brothers
Making Gypsy Willow Furniture: Step-By-Step Guide to Making Rustic Furniture by Bim Willow, Douglas Congdon-Martin
