About Rattan
Basic Usage
*Please soak rattan in cold or lukewarm water until it becomes soft before use. Keep it wet with a spray bottle while working to prevent it from drying out.
Also, since it is a natural material, there are individual differences in color and quality.
*Please note that dyed rattan may fade.
Also, the degree of dyeing may vary depending on the dyeing conditions.
Rattan materials and processing
Rattan is a palm plant that grows in the tropical and subtropical jungles of Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Islands, and there are said to be 200 types of rattan.
The thinnest ones are about 2 mm in diameter, while the thickest ones can be over 60 mm in diameter and reach lengths of over 100 m.
Many of them are covered in vine-like bark with long thorns, and they use these thorns to cling to other tall trees, growing high in search of sun.
Rattan grows faster than wood, and even the slowest varieties can be used as lumber in 14 to 15 years.
Until around 1975, the raw rattan was imported with the bark still on, but now most is imported with the bark removed by machine.
At the processing plant, the raw rattan is polished with a round bar sander and then further straightened out, and stored with the same thickness and length.
＜Taimin＞
It has a diameter of 28 mm or more and is used for the frames of chairs and other items.
＜Chuumin＞
They range in diameter from 20 to 28 mm and are used as frames for small items or bundled together to make chair frames.
＜Youmin＞
It has a diameter of less than 20 mm and is also used as a pattern for the frames of small items such as baskets, as well as the seats and backs of chairs.
<Round rattan>
A general term for sega and ronti, with a diameter of about 4 to 12 mm. In addition to rattan mats, they are used with the skin still attached as patterns for basket frames, screens, chairs, etc.
＜Bark Rattan＞
It is made by splitting a piece of rattan and cutting only the bark to a uniform width and thickness.
It is used to wrap and reinforce the joints of chairs and other items, and in addition to its decorative effect, width, strength, etc. are important factors.
There is one called "Genroku" which is 5.4 mm wide, and one called "Sedori" which has the center of the skin shaved off in a thin line to enhance the coloring effect.
＜Core rattan＞
It is a string-like material made by splitting a whole rattan, removing the bark, and sawing the cross-sectional shapes into a circle, semicircle, or square, and is called a round core, half core, and flat core, respectively.
Core rattan is used to weave baskets and large chairs, and the skill with which it is made gives it a wonderful appearance.
Rattan production (Extracted from Tokyo Rattan Crafts, a traditional craft of Tokyo)
1. Selection
This sorting process is an important step that determines the quality of the product, but it requires years of experience and intuition.
They are selected based on thickness, color, hardness, length, etc., depending on where the product will be used.
2. Recharge
Rattan, being a natural material, has characteristics such as distortion, undulation, and twisting.
The process of straightening them out is called "tamenaoshi." Tamenaoshi is done by applying heat and using a correction rod called a tamebō.
This work is delicately affected by the area to be repaired and the amount of force used, so it requires many years of experience and intuition.
3. Bending
This is the process of bending material to fit the shape of the product using heat from fire or steam.
The amount of force required and the rate at which the rattan will return to its original shape will vary depending on the material and properties of the rattan, so these must be taken into consideration when bending the rattan.
4. Rolling
"Maki" is done to connect and reinforce the rattan, as well as for decoration. There are various ways to wrap it, such as "plain wrapping," "striated wrapping," and "Genroku wrapping." All of these require advanced techniques.
5. Knitting
The "weaving" is done on chair seats, backrests, and around baskets, etc.
Weaving methods include "Yotsume", "Ajirome", "Basketweave", "Ichimatsu", and "Flower pattern" using flat materials such as cane bark and flat core, and "Zaruame" and "Ropeame" using round materials such as round core. In addition, there are "uchi-me" (edge fastening) techniques such as "uchi-me" (inner turn) and "soto-me" (outer turn) that serve as both reinforcement and decoration for the edges of the woven fabric.
The artisan's skill is demonstrated in how they make the most of the flexibility and strength of rattan while also weaving it in a way that matches the design.
6. Hole (open)
This is an important step in making rattan rugs. To ensure that the finished surface is even, the placement of the holes must be precisely determined depending on the softness of the rattan.
7. Threading
Rattan rugs are made by sewing together several strands of string with a needle. The slightly raised lines of the string holes are a unique beauty of rattan rugs.
8. Stitching
It is a finishing technique used to reinforce and decorate the braided edges of rattan mats and baskets, as well as the joints of assembled parts.
Examples include 'Yabanekagari' and 'Ajirokagari'.
9. Grinding
This refers to the process of creating cane skin and cane core from whole rattan. In particular, cane bark requires highly advanced skills to cut into special shapes, such as removing the back, chamfering, peeling, and thick cutting.
This technique is unique to Japan and is highly sophisticated.