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Rattan Furniture Manufacturer & Exporter from Indonesia - belladonnarattan
Belladonna Rattan is a manufacturer and exporter of rattan furniture from Indonesia. We have been in the business since 1989 in designing, manufacturing and exporting rattan wicker furniture to the world.
High quality of rattan furniture manufacturer & exporter in Indonesia
 
About Rattan

Rattan is the name for the roughly six hundred species of the genera Calamus and Daemonorops used for furniture and baskets.
Rattan is among the oldest natural furniture material in use today. Unlike bamboo, which is hollow, rattan is a solid timber vine that grows in the jungles of Indonesia.

It is one of nature's strongest materials. The outer portion of the stem is extremely hard and durable, while the inner portion of the stem is softer and somewhat porous and not hollow like bamboo. It will not splinter or break, is extremely resilient and is ideal for the making of furniture.

There is no harvesting season for rattan as it grows year round. Harvesting can be difficult due to the topography and inaccessibility of the jungle. The harvested rattan is cut into 12-15 foot lengths and tied into large bundles to make the journey from the jungle to a processing area.

There the workers remove the bark and cut the lengths into thin strips to be used in cane seats and chair backs. The pithy interior is then cut into reed for use in wickerwork. Because rattan is extremely strong and can be fastened as securely as wood, the entire pole is used to make furniture. This looks like bamboo but is much stronger.

When heated with steam or a blowtorch, rattan becomes very pliable and can be bent into a variety of shapes without cracking.

Finished rattan furniture is as strong as steel and is nearly indestructible. It requires no particular maintenance and is extremely durable. Having been fumigated at the factory, it is also virtually immune against rodents, unlike bamboo which deteriorates relatively quickly.

Even if the condition of the furniture is in disrepair, most items can be restored to their original condition.

History of Rattan

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.

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.


INDONESIA - CIREBON, WEST JAVA

In Indonesia , rattan is harvested in the jungles of Borneo , Sulawesi and Sumatra . Trading has been mainly concentrated on the island of Java . Over time Cirebon , a port city about 250 km east of Jakarta , Indonesia 's capital city, established itself as the rattan trade center and subsequent rattan manufacturing center. It was probably Cirebon ' s proximity to the island of Borneo that made it more favorable for rattan shipments than the bigger harbors of Jakarta and Surabaya .

Until 1987, almost all rattan was exported as a raw material to overseas markets and only a small portion of lower quality rattan remained in Cirebon . This was turned into furniture and house-hold products by small home-industries. During that time Indonesia only exported finished rattan goods, with relatively simple designs, on a small scale

When in 1987 Indonesia 's government decided to stop exporting raw rattan, demand for finished rattan furniture soared and gave an impetus to Cirebon 's rattan Industry. It was some while before larger factories were established and even today many rattan furniture exporters outsource their production to home industries and act only as intermediaries.

As a consequence, rattan furniture from Cirebon is sometimes considered to be inferior to rattan furniture from other regions in South East Asia , such as Thailand and the Philippines . Only few factories currently do their entire production in-house. Even fewer factories exist that employ their own designers, who are often highly skilled expatriates from all corners of the world.

 
Rattan Furniture Cleaning & Care Tips

Care
Dust regularly with small brush or vacuum. Spills should be taken care of immediately before they harden or stain, by wiping with a sponge wrung from sudsy water.

Regular Cleaning
To clean periodically, vacuum away loose dirt. Prepare a solution of detergent and water. Skim the suds off into a damp sponge and apply to furniture, working on a small portion at a time. Use a small brush in crevices. Do not wet wooden parts of furniture. Wipe off suds with clean damp sponge.

Special Cleaning
Perhaps once a year or every other year, raw wicker may need complete washing. Dust with a vacuum brush. Scrub with warm water and detergent using sponge or soft brush; spray rinse with a garden hose outside, or put under the shower. Dry chair as fast as possible by putting in the hot sun, using hair drier, or directing a fan onto it to keep air circulating. A windy day is good to aid drying. On painted wicker only wash and rinse as you would painted wood; wetting as above may crack and peel the paint. If furniture has wooden parts, do not wet them; use only periodical cleaning method as described below.

 
 
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