Wicker
Wickeris a method of weaving used to make products such as furniture and baskets, as well as a descriptor to classify such products. It is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back asc. 3000 BC.Wicker was first documented in ancient Egypt, then having been made from pliable plant material, but in modern times it is made from any pliable, easily woven material. The wordwickeror "wisker" is believed to be of Scandinavian origin:vika,which means "to fold" in Swedish.[1]Wicker is traditionally made of material ofplantorigin, such aswillow,rattan,reed,andbamboo,though the term also applies to products woven fromsynthetic fibers.Wicker is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for items that will be moved often likeporchandpatiofurniture.[2]Rushworkandwickerworkare terms used in England.[3]A typical braiding pattern is calledWiener Geflecht,Viennese Braiding, as it was invented in 18th century Vienna and later most prominently used with theThonetcoffeehouse chair.
History
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Wicker has been documented as far back asancient Egypt,made from indigenous "reed and swamp grasses."[4]Middle-class families could only afford a few pieces, such as small tables.[5]However, archaeologists working on the tombs of the wealthypharaohshave uncovered a wider variety of wicker items,[6]including "chests, baskets, wig boxes, and chairs".[4]Wicker even found use in theAchaemenid Empireon the battlefield, inshields.[7]
The popularity of wicker passed from ancient Egypt andPersiatoancient Rome.Wicker baskets were used to carry items inPompeii.[8]Furniture was manufactured out of wicker in the Roman style.[4]It has been proposed that the extensive use of wicker in theIron Age(1200 BC – 400 AD in Europe) may have influenced the development of the woven patterns used inCeltic art.[citation needed]By the 16th and 17th centuries, wicker was "quite common"[4]in European countries likePortugal,Spain,and England.
Wicker received a boost during theAge of Exploration,when international sea traders returned fromPhilippineswith a species ofpalmcalledrattan.Rattan is stronger than traditional European wicker materials,[6]although the rattan stem can be separated so the softer inner core can be used for wicker.
The 19th century brought immense popularity for wicker in Europe, England, and North America.[4]It was used outdoors as well as indoors. People in theVictorian Erabelieved it to be more sanitary than upholstered furniture.[4]It was inexpensive,[9]resisted harsh weather and was adaptable to many styles.[9]
In the United States,Cyrus Wakefieldbegan constructing rattan furniture in the 1850s. He first used rattan that had been offloaded from ships, where it was used as ballast,[6]but as his designs became well-known, he began importing the material himself.[4]Wakefield's company became one of the leading industries in wicker furniture;[4]it later merged with the Heywood Chair Manufacturing Company (a wooden chair company[10]that had invented a mechanical process for weaving wicker seats[4]) to form theHeywood-Wakefield,one of the oldest and most prominent North American wicker manufacturers.[4]
In recent times, its aesthetic was influenced heavily by theArts and Crafts movementat the turn of the 20th century.[citation needed]
Wicker is still a popular material. Antique wicker products are highly sought after by collectors. Reproductions of furniture and accent pieces are also sold for indoor and outdoor use.[2](In North America today, "rattan" and "wicker" are frequently used interchangeably.) Wickerwork is an important industry inPoland,employing hundreds of skilled workers to create goods for export to western Europe.[11]
Laundry basketshave been and are popular in Europe.
Manufacture
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Natural wicker is well known for its strength and durability, as well as the high level of beauty and comfort that an expert craftsperson can create. Materials used can be any part of a plant, such as the cores ofcaneorrattanstalks, or whole thicknesses of plants, as withwillowswitches. Other popular materials includereedandbamboo.Natural wicker requires maintenance to keep it in good shape.[citation needed]
Wicker can also be made from synthetic materials, or a combination. In furniture, such as benches, chairs, stools and other seating devices, a frame is typically made of stiffer materials, after which more pliant material is woven into the frame to fill it.[12]In a smaller piece such as a basket, a strengthening frame is not needed so the entire piece is woven from the wicker material.[13]
Synthetic types include paper-wrapped high tensile wire (using theLloyd Loomprocess patented in the early 20th century), andplasticorresin.The synthetic wickers are often preferred for outdoor use ( "all-weather wicker" ). The frame material used in these more recent versions includes aluminum.[2]
The largest basket vase in the world is located in Germany.[14]
Etymology
[edit]![[icon]](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3AWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg&t=hv){kind=small} | This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(April 2018) |
The wordwickeris from theMiddle Englishwiker,meaning'willow, ofScandinavianorigin.[1]
Image gallery
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A wickerballoonbasket capable of holding 16 passengers -
Plastic-wicker chairs -
Triumph Model H motorcycle with wicker sidecar -
Man carrying tomatoes in wicker baskets, Nigeria, 2017 -
Man carrying a jug with woven wicker handle. Portugal, 1950 -
A wickerworkcat treefrom IKEA circa mid-2000s -
Wicker craftswoman inNuevo León,Mexico
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ab"Wicker",The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language(Fourth ed.), Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009,retrieved2012-05-19
- ^abc"Wicker".Alfresia.Manchester: Vale Mill (Rochdale) Ltd.Retrieved25 February2017.
- ^Seymour, John (1984).The Forgotten Arts A practical guide to traditional skills.Angus & Robertson Publishers. p. 54.ISBN0-207-15007-9.
- ^abcdefghij"From Egypt to the American Patio: The History of Wicker Furniture".Random History. 4 May 2007.Retrieved11 October2012.
- ^Kremen, Lisa (29 April 1997)."Ancient Egyptian Social Life: Professions".Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2007.Retrieved11 October2012.
- ^abcSaunders, Richard (1990).Wicker Furniture: A Guide to Restoring and Collecting.Random House, Inc.
- ^Herodotus."The History of Herodotus".
- ^Willey, David (18 July 2005)."Rare Pompeii dinner set unveiled".Rome: BBC News.Retrieved11 October2012.
- ^abAmerican Institute of Architects, San Francisco (2012)."Victorian Cottage & Wicker Furniture".
Wicker, another form of low-priced furniture, attracted even greater interest beginning in the 1850s and soon became a fixture in almost every American setting. Wicker furniture, suitable for parlor, porch or lawn linked the indoors and outdoors. Hundreds of patterns in wicker, mass-produced by dozens of forms across the country, illustrate the range and richness of Victorian fashion.
- ^"From Country Store to Modern Furniture: 100 Years of Progress".2008.Retrieved11 October2012.
- ^Easton, Adam."Poland revives wicker tradition".Rudnik-on-San,Poland:BBC News.Retrieved11 October2012.
- ^"What is wicker?".LatourTuinmeubelen(in Dutch).Retrieved11 March2015.
- ^Ridgeon, Jonathan."How to Weave a Wicker Basket: A practical guide".Retrieved11 October2012.
- ^"Ferienwohnung Müller - Ihr Zuhause in Coburg - Weltgrößte Korbvase".www.fewoco.de.Retrieved2019-08-19.