Wicker
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Wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture.[1] Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used.
Materials used can be any part of a plant, such as the cores of cane or rattan stalks, or whole thicknesses of plants, as with willow switches. Other popular materials include reed and bamboo.
Often a frame is made of stiffer materials, after which more pliant material is used to fill in the frame. Wicker is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for furniture that will be moved often. It is often used for porch and patio furniture.[2]
Wicker furniture has been documented as far back as ancient Egypt,[3] that was considered to be one of the ideal elements of modern outdoor furniture. It was the first natural material to be used for furniture,[citation needed] starting out as baskets and chairs. The history of wicker furniture was revealed when archaeologists discovered dozens of wicker furniture items made from reed and swamp grasses (Saunders 1990) while working to uncover the civilizations of the Pharaohs.[4]
The popularity of wicker furniture was passed from Egypt to Rome and throughout Europe as international sea traders carried the materials to Great Britain, Portugal, and Spain, and wicker baskets have been found in Pompeii.[5] The popularity of wicker in America, however, was another story as its popularity did not rise until the mid-nineteenth century. It was Cyrus Wakefield who had discovered large quantities of rattan, the most common material for wicker furniture, and began construction of his own line of wicker furniture. That soon caught the attention of the population and made his company one of the leading industries in wicker furniture.[6] It has been proposed that the extensive use of wicker objects in the Iron Age had an influence on the development of the patterns used in Celtic art.[citation needed] In recent times, its aesthetic was influenced heavily by the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the 20th century.
The oldest and most prominent North American manufacturer was Heywood-Wakefield of Gardner, Massachusetts. Antique wicker products are highly sought after by collectors.
There are two types of wicker furniture available — natural and synthetic. Natural wicker is well known for its strength and durability, and for the high level of beauty and comfort that an expert craftsman can produce. Natural wicker requires maintenance to keep it in good shape. Synthetic types include paper-wrapped high tensile wire (using the Lloyd Loom process patented in the early 1900s), and plastic or resin and are often preferred for outdoor use.
Etymology
The word wicker is from the Middle English wiker, of Scandinavian origin.[7]
Gallery
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A wicker balloon basket capable of holding 16 passengers -
Plastic-wicker chairs in Toronto -
World's largest wicker basket, Nowy Tomyśl, Poland
See also
References
- ^ "Wicker". The Free Dictionary By Farlex. Retrieved 2012-19-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ [1]
- ^ Ancient Egyptian Social Life: Professions
- ^ [2]
- ^ BBC NEWS
- ^ [3]
- ^ "Wicker". The Free Dictionary By Farlex. Retrieved 2012-19-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)
External links
