Rattan is the most ecological material that is available to us. Common knowledge dictates that cutting down trees from the rain forest destroys our environment and once cut, the trees will not grow back. One has to replant new trees and it takes many decades for a tree to mature. Rattan however, grows again and at a very fast pace. It can only be found in the rain forest as rattan needs trees for it to wrap on to reach for sunlight. This means that as long as there are trees in the rain forest, rattan will always be a sustainable raw material.   藤家具

This material can be found in the rainforests in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Sumatra. There are so many animals inhabiting these areas, including the famous and endangered orangutans. These poor animals are losing their natural habitats by humans cutting down trees illegally for financial benefits. There are indications that rattan has been used since the early days of mankind for the production of furniture, though no exact historical data exists. It was originally exported from Indonesia, where it predominately grows, and eventually reached the shores of China. There, skilled craftsman built not only furniture but also baskets and other household items.   藤木家具

It is widely accepted that from China rattan then entered Japan where, within a short time, it became very popular too. It was the Japanese who honed the art of modern rattan furniture. Several production centers developed in Japan and rattan furniture was and remains highly popular in Japanese households.

Singapore, due to its proximity to Indonesia and the availability of skilled craftsmen from China, developed into South East Asia's rattan furniture production center. Until the late 1980s, Singapore was probably the biggest exporter of rattan furniture. Manufacturing came to a sudden end when Indonesia's government decided to stop exporting raw rattan. However, a lot of rattan is still traded and exported.

From: 藤家具、藤木家具