The History of Wicker Furniture
Wicker furniture has been in existence since the ancient Egyptians. From its humble beginnings on the river banks of the Nile, to the beautiful pergolas of the Roman courtyards and on into the Americas, wicker furniture has endured the test of time. Does this Spark an idea?
Born in Egypt
The ancient Egyptians were resourceful. They created wicker furniture around 3000 B.C. The Nile river banks were filled with bladed grasses of wicker. Once the men and women discovered its strength when dried, they set out on a path of design that would produce some of the most beautiful, intertwined furniture the world has known. They made baskets, trunks, tables and beds.
On to Rome
The Romans, although resourceful in their own way, welcomed this beautiful art from the Middle East. It is thought that Marco Polo or Marc Anthony may have found these beautiful art works of furniture and brought them back for the Romans. Nevertheless, wicker caught on in the Roman world soon after its inception. It was expanded to include swings, of which the Romans loved, and privacy screens. The Romans, passed on a great art that had found its roots in Egypt. The weave, which began as an exotic weave, was now transformed into a more graceful weave with straighter lines, elegant curves, and lighter colors. The Egyptians were able to dye the wicker with almost any color they wished, but the Romans favored a brighter colored wicker such as beige or even white.
Chinese Wicker
When wicker reached China (15th Century), China was in an age of philosophy. The wicker weave became smaller and finer, and the Chinese made mostly round storage bowls with lids and square storage boxes. It was an attempt to construct lightweight containers to hold sacred writings.
African Wicker
The African wicker emerged some time just before the colonizations of the Americas. The wicker furniture of Africa is not embellished like the rest of the world and its weaves are looser, probably due to the lack of wicker supplies. It was used in a most resourceful way when the warrior wove shields for protection. Africans chose to use wicker for war rather than furniture.
Americas At Last
Wicker came to the Americas with the early settlers. Although plain in its appearance, it had migrated deep into the new world. It is believed that suitcases and storage trunks were the main items of wicker in the new world. But, later on, after the Victorian age set in, wicker was revived on its journey as it took on new Victorian shapes and colors (white mostly). Now that wicker has full spread across humanity, it can almost always be identified with the culture in which it rests.
Tags: Americas wicker, Americas wicker furniture, ancient Egyptians, Egyptians were, History Wicker, History Wicker Furniture