Wicker Furniture History
Have you ever wondered where American wicker furniture originated? Although wicker furniture can be found as far back as ancient Egypt and Pompei, the history of contemporary wicker furniture actually begins in a rather odd setting: old docks within the city of Boston. What does wicker furniture have to do with the old Boston docks? Well, due to the strength and durability of rattan, this material was originally used to secure boat cargo.
Boats traveling back and forth from Asia often met storms, rough waters, and other obstacles along the way. This meant that in order for a load of goods to arrive at its destination safely, the cargo inside of any boat had to be secured. The best material for this job was rattan.
Once the boats had reached the Boston docks, the rattan material was cut loose and discarded. One particularly clear night, a man by the name of Cyrus Wakefield watched as strips of rattan were thrown onto the worn docks.
Entirely fascinated by this material, Wakefield gathered the unwanted pieces. He brought these strips of rattan home with him determined to make something of them. As he tested the strength of the material, he also observed that it was quite beautiful to look at.
This prompted him to shape and shift the material into all kinds of prototypes. One day, he discovered that the material could bend quite easily, and he began making baskets. Shortly thereafter, his baskets became quite popular, which promoted a large demand for them. The original “Wakefield Basket” was once at the very height of all sophistication.
Soon after the word about his baskets got around, Wakefield was able to quit his day job in order to create and sell baskets. Within months, he was sending entire ships full of wicker baskets all around the world. It can easily be said that the history of wicker furniture begins with the Cyrus Wakefield’s fortunate discover. Today, wicker furniture is popular throughout the globe.