Furniture and Furnishing

Furniture and Furnishings 3(1+2)

Lesson 03: Material Used For Furniture Construction

Willow,Rattan, Reed And Cane

Furniture made from these materials is called wickerwork. Willow can be woven just like cane. Rattan is a kind of vine that does not take on any colour but can be given a burnt effect by scorching it with a blow torch, Reeds are the hard core left after the outer rattan fibre is stripped away. Bamboo is also used for masking of furniture, baskets and mats. Much of the furniture made out of these raw materials still comes from rural India. Efforts are now being made to improve both the quality and design of these items.

Most Indian homes have “moodas” or garden furniture made out of reeds (Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan). Cane work is still carried on in many parts of South India. Bamboo strips are wound on a frame work of cane. This is used for making pouffes, chairs and a variety of baskets especially in Assam and the Northeastern parts of our country.

As these raw materials are becoming more difficult to obtain and expensive, modern chairs often have seats and backs woven with nylon or plastic cane.