Rattan is the trunk of any more than 150 species of climbing palms. It grows primarily in the tropical jungles and swamps of Southeast Asia. Some species grow straight up and others are climbing palms and cling to trees for support. A single vine can grow over 500 feet in length. Mature rattan is harvested without damage to trees and is cut at about 3 feet above the ground. The root of the plant is not uprooted and in 6 to 10 years it fully matures again. The grain of the wood runs the length of the pole as opposed to the width. This characteristic, unique to rattan gives it a significant flexile strength not apparent in other wood types. It is so strong in fact, that it is the preferred wood for Martial Arts combat. A rattan pole may be shaped into virtually any form desired and enables the furniture designer and artisan a unique opportunity to create designs where art and form merge into infinite expressions of beauty. |
Go Back |
© 2005 Rattan La Difference, Inc. All rights reserved.
