Cane Furniture Making

Cane furniture and handicrafts have been widely used across the world. They are highly appreciated for their beautiful natural looks. South East Asia is one of the biggest manufacturers of cane furniture and handicrafts. Modern techniques have improved the manufacturing processes of cane furniture. North East India has been traditionally one of the biggest producers of raw cane and manufacturer of cane furniture and handicrafts. When we did our initial survey of the products we found that the sector was hugely unorganized and consisted of many small artisans. The customers often complained about termite infestation and lack of new designs. After a lot of discussions with different stakeholders we came up with a standard set of practices that can be followed to make the cane furniture achieve quality standards. We adhere to those processes to provide our customers with quality products. The section below summarizes the process for you.

The harvested cane is first sun-dried to reduce the moisture to an optimal level. Sorting of the cane is done during the process and the cane which has cracks, develop spots are separated from the good quality cane.

Once the cane is dried the cane is treated with certain eco-friendly chemicals to improve the qualities of cane. The natural colour of the cane is improved and the resistance of the cane to termite infestation is also improved with the use of such chemicals.

Once the initial treatment is done the cane is now ready to be used for making furniture and other products. Two different variants of cane are used in the process a thick one that forms the support of the furniture and thin one that is used to woven over the frame. Heat is used to bend the cane to form the frame for furniture. The heating also removes excess moisture and kills any pest that is there in the cane.

Once the cane is heated and given the desired shape it is used to form the frame of the furniture. Finely stripped cane strips are woven to give the final finishing to the cane furniture.

Taking care of cane furniture

Quality cane furniture lasts very long but in order to maintain the allegiance, a minimal effort must be put in from time to time. The cane furniture and handicrafts are usually coated with burnish colouring to give it a natural finish which tends to fade away over time. The timing depends on the quality of paint used which may usually vary between seven to ten years depending on the way the product is used. As the shine fades away the cane starts turning dark brown. Not to worry the furniture is still good and just needs a fresh colouring. We would suggest you to do sanding and a colouring on the furniture to maintain the beautiful looks. The process doesn't need any expertise and any normal painter could be able to do it.

Cane furniture has been widely used as garden furniture in many places. However please be careful not to expose the furniture to direct rain. This might impact the life span of the product. High moisture content areas like damp areas of the room are also not preferable for using or storing the furniture. Moisture makes way for pests and termites. Prolonged use or storage of cane furniture in damp areas might get infested with termites and pests. Likewise, cane handicrafts like baskets should not be used inside refrigerators for a long time. One precautionary step that can be followed is an intermediate exposure to sunlight. If the furniture is placed in a way that it doesn't receive any exposure to sunlight then post the monsoon season, the furniture should be put to sunlight for a day. Six to seven hours of proper sunlight is good to wash away all the moisture.

For more details or queries please contact us

Gamusa

Gamusa is a symbol of honour and gratitude in Assamese culture. Guests and seniors are often welcomed with a Gamusa. Gamusa is used in places of worship (Manikut) in Assamese culture. It is seen tied to the heads of youth during a Bihu dance. It is used as a gift item in Assamese culture and there has been an increasing acceptance by the people of rest of India.

Gamusa can be identified as a rectangular piece of white cloth marked with red coloured embroidery on it. Cotton is one of the most favoured materials for making Gamusa. The word was originally derived from the combination of ga (meaning body in Assamese) and musa (meaning to wipe in Assamese).

The fabric patterns are mostly inspired by nature and Bihu dance forms.

The gamusa we source are woven by the ladies of Assam in and around Golaghat. The Gamusa that is used in places of devotion or manikut is often woven by ladies after taking a bath. They are specially woven to retain the feeling of faith.

We offer custom made Gamusa that can be created with fabric that can be integrated with other cultural themes.