When was wicker furniture popular

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We have been busy dressing. The windows of our Ebury street showroom got a glo. Gorgeous NEW cushions now in stock. Rattan, and wicker in general, is a staple of tropical climates. But rattan and the bohemian aesthetic associated with it are everywhere. The trend is defined by gentle neutrals mixed with splashes of color think deep emeralds and rusty oranges , houseplants galore, and, perhaps most importantly, natural materials — the star of which is rattan.

And, of course, the millennial obsession with travel has certainly championed the vacation-inclined trend. Wicker and rattan earned a bad rap after midcentury overuse. But vintage styles in general are reappearing, and this coupled with an interest in bringing the outdoors inside is giving tropical design new life.

But it was a hard sell at times to some people. Connection is more often made online than off. Rattan exudes summer and leisure time, Lindroth says. Now, in the swing of summer, rattan will only become more popular. Will our peacock chairs and wicker lamps suddenly look off when the weather cools and our interior style is betrayed by the seasons?

Much of this is extremely high-end and expensive, but chain retailers like Target and Ikea have taken notice as well. Rattan went from being found at garage sales and on Craigslist to the aisles of big-box stores — so much for counterculture, right? And while rattan is a sustainable resource, harvesting and working with it is back-breaking, difficult work.

In fact, the Romans were happy to absorb the best characteristics of other cultures into their own — they had even adopted the Greek system of mythology, giving their gods and goddesses new Roman names.

Wicker was no exception; Romans not only took to the Egyptian practice but also expanded on it, using wicker weaves to create privacy screens. It may have also been the ancient Romans who came up with the idea of creating swings made of wicker, a practice that continues to this day. Although the Egyptians tended to be fond of elaborate, exotic weaves, the Romans quickly adapted the wicker to suit their own tastes. Straighter lines and curves now seemed to take over the world of wicker.

While Egyptians used the entire color palette to paint on wicker, the Romans favored neutral tones, such as beige or white colors. Because Rome contributed its massive infrastructure to the spread of wicker, it could be said that wicker truly gained popularity in the world when it was used throughout Rome.

One place in particular wicker would later spread: China. However, despite the abundant resources available for wicker weaving in China, some sources say that wicker did not reach China until the 15th century -- well after the fall of Rome and especially after the heights of ancient Egypt. Trade routes between Europe and China had been established earlier than the 15th century, of course.

Marco Polo, the Italian specifically, Venetian merchant, traveled to China and documented these travels in the 13th and 14th century — this did a lot to establish a link between the two continents in terms of culture, trade, and exploration. This may help explain the delay in wicker in China before then.

However, once discovered, Chinese contributions to the world of wicker were significant: they enjoyed a smaller, thinner weave that worked well for storage bowls and boxes. The Chinese were especially preoccupied with creating storage boxes that could be lightweight while holding and protecting writings that were deposited therein.

To those people who associate wicker weaving with a more modernist approach — from the 19th century on — would likely appreciate how popular wicker became during the Victorian Age. The Victorian Age, of course, refers to the period of British history from through — the reign of Queen Victoria. By this time, the American colonies had already become the American states. Wicker in this age would also go on to be explored, refined, and modified in new and interesting ways that helped ensure its long-term popularity — a popularity that exists to this day.

The Victorian Age is of special relevance to Americans because of its close historical proximity, but the truth is that wicker survived to the Victorian Age thanks to its history in pre-Victorian Europe. Wicker, of course, survived the fall of Rome which many experts place around A. Marco Polo and other European tradesman and explorers would play integral roles in introducing many popular European customs and cultural influences throughout the world — not just in China, but in the newly-discovered continents west of the Atlantic Ocean.

The seemingly ever-shrinking world came to appreciate the antiques of ancient Roman culture, as well as the contribution of resources now available through worldwide trade. Indeed, as explorers poked and prodded around the Earth, they shortened the trips from India to England, for example, further closing the gap between mainstream Europe and non-European cultures.

With rattan — an ideal base for wicker — flourishing in Southeast Asia and a renewed interest in the Roman style during an age of neo-classicism, wicker was one of the cultural imprints of antiquity that encountered a revival during the Renaissance and post-Renaissance years. Trade, however, was constantly interrupted in the pre-Victorian years thanks to frequent wars including the War of Revolution in the United States and the Napoleonic Wars, among others. When Queen Victoria took over the throne of England at the tender age of 18, the groundwork for a general period of peace and prosperity — despite many major hiccups — was laid.

Generally speaking, the Victorian Age coincided with the Industrial Age -- a period of major changes in transportation, manufacturing, and craftsmanship. European and American minds alike found that wicker furniture was conveniently lightweight, inexpensive, and easier to clean than the traditional upholstered furniture of the day. Wicker was also a natural match for meeting the stylistic demands of the day.

The fact that wicker furniture is easy to paint, contributed to its expanding popularity during the Victorian Age. By the time the Victorian Age wrapped up, the world had already crossed into the 20th century.

Worldwide trade had become a common practice and wicker had already cemented itself as a common way to produce furniture throughout the western world.

Additionally, rattan as a material for wicker had grown to an immense popularity, including in the United States. Wicker came to America with the earliest of settlers — both as a resource for furniture and as a skill, or piece of knowledge.

Because so much transportation was handled by boat, it was important to have storage bins and other furnishings that were lightweight — they would take up similar space but not add so heavily to the overall load of a transatlantic journey. Subsequently, wicker suitcases and wicker traveling trunks became very popular in the Americas.

In many cases, this was simply due to the fact that people traveled lightly on their way across the ocean. Instead, wicker largely first arrived in the western hemisphere simply because it was convenient to travel with. With the Victorian Age now on the horizon and a presence of wicker already established in the Americas, the conditions were ripe for a wicker explosion in the United States in the 19th century.

The major change here, of course, was the fact that the colonies of British America won their independence from the crown in the late 18th century. Americans, however, still retained many of their British sensibilities. Not only would British and Americans continue to share a common language, but in many ways they would share a common culture — Victorianism in Great Britain did not only influence its remaining colonies but also influenced the United States.

Rattan brings the one dark element that anchors this otherwise sunny suite. Worried about rattan overload in your dining room? Opt for two rattan chairs at the heads of the table and use benches on the sides. Don't shy away from color! This painted rattan bar cart adds a beautiful pop of blue to the room. Who says rattan is just for hipsters? Country Life. Design Ideas.