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Rattan has been favored as a material for furniture,
particularly chair making since the early of human civilization.
Rattan is lightweight, incredibly strong and durable. Other than
that, it brings pleasure to the eye and relaxing comfort to the
body.
Rattan furniture has decorated the rooms of the kings,
the gardens, and been enjoyed by common people and people who appreciate
the grace of furniture.
Today, rattan finds itself adorn living room, bedroom,
drawing room in homes and also hotel rooms all over the world.
Rattan is a climbing palm, native to the tropical
forest region of Asia. It is classified in the order of Arecales.
Rattan has long , slender stems that maintain an almost uniform
diameter throughout their length. The stems can grow as long as
180 meters. The outer portion of the stem is extremely hard and
durable; the inner portion is softer and somewhat porous. The stems
are cut at the base of the plant and pulled free of other plants
by which the climbing rattan are supported.
The part of rattan that is used for rattan articles and rattan furniture
is the long, thin strips of inner rattan. For making of rattan articles
and rattan furniture, the raw rattan poles are treated in boiling
oil to kill all insects and moss. The well-dried and cleaned rattan
poles are then put into the steam ovens to become flexible enough
to undergo the manufacture process.
When you buy the finest quality rattan furniture for your home,
look carefully at its frame. It should be strong and rigid. Feel
the rattan surface. It should be smooth and glowing with the depth
of repeated polishing. Check also the joints of the furniture.
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