by Evan Ramdhani and other sources
Indonesia
is well known by its rattan furniture and craft. The rattan crafts from
Indonesia have been exported to many countries in the world.
Many
years ago, the rattan industry from Indonesia occupied 90% of international
market. By this huge domination, many people in the world are proud with this
rattan furniture.
At the
Potsdam Conference (occupied Germany) from 17th July to 2nd
August 1945, several influenced world leaders such as Winston Churchill (United
Kingdom), Harry s. Truman (US), and Joseph Stalin (Sovyet Union) sat on the
rattan chairs -estimated made in Indonesia- as shown on the photo below:
Rattan
According to The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. |
2014 | Copyright:
rattan (rătăn´),
name for a number of plants of the genera Calamus, Daemonorops, and Korthalsia
climbing palms of tropical Asia, belonging to the family Palmae (palm
family). Rattan leaves, unlike those of most palms, are not clustered into a
crown; they have long, whiplike barbed tips by which the plant climbs to the
tops of trees. From the stem, noted for its extraordinary length (often several
hundred feet) is obtained the rattan cane of commerce, a slender, flexible
tough cane of uniform diameter, usually split for wickerwork, baskets, and
chair seats and left entire for walking sticks, e.g., the Malacca cane. A resin
that exudes from the fruit is known commercially as dragon's blood. Rattan plants are
classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order
Arecales, family Palmae.
According to The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of
Current English | 2009 | Copyright:
rat·tan / raˈtan; rə-/ • n. 1. the thin pliable stems of a palm,
used to make furniture. ∎ a length of such a stem used as a walking stick. 2. the tropical Old World climbing
palm (genus Calamus) that yields this product, with long, spiny, jointed
stems.
According to World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright:
rattan Climbing palm
native to the East Indies and Africa. Its stems can grow to 150m (500ft). They
are used for making ropes and furniture. Family Arecacae/Palmae; genus Calamus.
Rattan cane
Structure
Most rattans differ from other palms in having slender stems, 2–5 cm diameter, with long internodes between the leaves; also, they are not trees but are vine-like, scrambling through and over other vegetation. Rattans are also superficially similar to bamboo. Unlike bamboo, rattan stems ("malacca") are solid, and most species need structural support and cannot stand on their own. However, some genera (e.g. Metroxylon, Pigafetta, Raphia) are more like typical palms, with stouter, erect trunks. Many rattans have spines which act as hooks to aid climbing over other plants, and 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, Sulawesi, Sumbawa islands. The rest of the world's supply comes from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and BangladeshEconomic and environmental issues
In forests where rattan grows, its economic value can help protect forest land, by providing an alternative to loggers who forgo timber logging and harvest rattan canes instead. Rattan is much easier to harvest, requires simpler tools and is much easier to transport. It also grows much faster than most tropical wood. This makes it a potential tool in forest maintenance, since it provides a profitable crop that depends on rather than replaces trees. It remains to be seen whether rattan can be as profitable or useful as the alternatives.Rattans are threatened with over exploitation, as harvesters are cutting stems too young and reducing their ability to resprout. Unsustainable harvesting of rattan can lead to forest degradation, affecting overall forest ecosystem services. Processing can also be polluting. The use of toxic chemicals and petrol in the processing of rattan affects soil, air and water resources, and also ultimately people's health. Meanwhile, the conventional method of rattan production is threatening the plant's long-term supply, and the income of workers.
Uses
Generally, raw rattan is processed
into several products to be used as materials in furniture
making. The various species of rattan range from several millimeters up to 5–7 cm
in diameter. From a strand of rattan, the skin is usually peeled off, to be
used as rattan weaving material. The remaining "core" of the rattan
can be used for various purposes in furniture making. Rattan is a very good
material mainly because it is lightweight, durable, suitable for outdoor use,
and—to a certain extent—flexible.
Furniture making
Rattans are extensively used for making furniture and baskets. When cut into sections, rattan can be used as wood to make furniture. Rattan accepts paints and stains like many other kinds of wood, so it is available in many colors; and it can be worked into many styles. Moreover, the inner core can be separated and worked into wicker.
Handicraft and arts
Many of the properties of rattan that make it suitable for furniture also make it a popular choice for handicraft and art pieces. Uses include rattan baskets, plant containers and other decorative works.Due to its durability and resistance to splintering, sections of rattan can be used as staves or canes for martial arts— 70 cm-long rattan sticks, called baston, are used in Filipino martial arts, especially Modern Arnis and Eskrima and for the striking weapons in the Society for Creative Anachronism's full-contact "heavy combat".
Along with birch and bamboo, rattan is a common material used for the handles in percussion mallets, especially mallets for keyboard percussion (vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, etc.).
It is also used to make walking sticks and crooks for high-end umbrellas.
Rattan as a shelter material
Most natives or locals from the rattan rich countries employ the aid of this sturdy plant in their home building projects. It is heavily used as a housing material in the rural areas. The skin of the plant or wood is primarily used for weaving.Food source and medicinal potential
The fruit of some rattans exudes a red resin called dragon's blood.Some rattan fruits are edible,with sour taste akin to citrus. This resin was thought to have medicinal properties in antiquity and was also used as a dye for violins, among other things. The resin normally results in a wood with a light peach hue. In the Indian state of Assam, the shoot is also used as vegetable.Corporal punishment
Thin rattan canes were the standard implement for school corporal punishment in England and Wales, and are still used for this purpose in schools in Singapore, Malaysia and several African countries - and similar canes are used for military punishments in the Singapore Armed Forces,Heavier canes, also of rattan, are used for judicial corporal punishments in Malaysia, Aceh, Singapore, and Brunei
Other uses
Traditionally the women of the Wemale ethnic group of Seram Island, Indonesia wore rattan girdles around their waist.In early 2010, scientists in Italy announced that rattan wood would be used in a new "wood to bone" process for the production of artificial bone. The process takes small pieces of rattan and places it in a furnace. Calcium and carbon are added. The wood is then further heated under intense pressure in another oven-like machine and a phosphate solution is introduced. This process produces almost an exact replica of bone material. The process takes about 10 days. At the time of the announcement the bone was being tested in sheep and there had been no signs of rejection. Particles from the sheep's bodies have migrated to the "wood bone" and formed long continuous bones. The new bone-from-wood program is being funded by the European Union. Implants into humans are anticipated to start in 2015.
If you need more information of rattan furniture, you can contact this person:
Evan Ramdhani
e-mail: evandhanifurniture@gmail.com
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