.
Design Resource
Cane and Rattan Furniture - Mysore
Making of Bamboo Furniture
by
Prof. Bibhudutta Baral, Shruti K., Lija M .G. and Shivangi Sharma
Introduction
Mysore district is situated in the watershed of the River Kaveri surrounded by hills from north to south. It is known as the ‘City of Palaces’. Till the emergence of Raja Wodeyar in 1578 AD, Mysore was a small feudatory kingdom under the Vijayanagara Empire. Raja inaugurated the Dasara festivities which are still celebrated with great pomp, which opened the door for different kinds of arts and crafts. Mysore is a heritage city of palaces, gardens, tree-lined avenues, sacred temples, arts and cultural institutions. It is also the home of many well regarded musicians and artists. Traditional gesso painting, ganjifa cards and sandalwood carving, inlay work, bamboo products and many other crafts were patronized by the Wodeyars. Mysore is also famous for bamboo products and bamboo bazar, which consists of all type of bamboo furniture and especially famous for bamboo mat. The furniture is made by bamboo as well as cane and rattan.
Rattan is widely used for making furniture and baskets as it is a slender stem of 2-5cm in diameter with long internodes between the leaves. When cut into sections, the material can be used as wood to make furniture as inner core can be separated and worked into wicker. Properties of rattan are suitable for furniture also make it a popular choice for handicraft and art pieces. Due to its slenderness it is also used to make walking walking sticks and crooks for high-end umbrellas. As the fibers are stronger, rattan rich countries use this sturdy plant in their home building projects.
