Wicker is not itself a building material, but a style of weaving. Reeds, rattan, bamboo, and water hyacinth are all wicker if woven accordingly.
The oldest surviving pieces of wicker furniture were made in ancient Egypt. Chests and wig boxes woven from reed and papyrus; cassocks; chairs. Even with their towers of limestone they saw the potential in dried and bent tubes of vegetation. But they didn't call it "wicker."
The term "wicker" is probably a Scandanavian creation. vika is Swedish for "bend"; vikker is "willow." Bend or willow: bent willow.
After solid wood, wicker is the world's most popular furniture-building material. It's light, it's strong. I know from working in furniture stores and having to destroy returned wicker pieces that it doesn't come apart easily. I usually had to take a claw hammer to it. And short breaks for water — it always took awhile. Hit a rattan pole about an inch thick full-force with a steel claw hammer. It'll bounce right back. Wood dents; solid oak splits. I trust a wicker chair more than a wooden one any day.
Wicker is usually made of one or more of four substances: rattan, reed, willow, and bamboo.
- Rattan is the most common material used in wicker furniture. It's a climbing vine harvested seven to fifteen years after it begins growing, attaining a length of some 600 feet and a girth of one-eighth inch to two inches. It's native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.
- Reed refers to woven swamp grasses similar to straw. Early American wicker furniture was mostly made of reeds.
- Willow is a fast-growing, tapered wood branch native to Northern Europe and North America. It retains moisture well, allowing malleability and providing for long life.
- Bamboo is the famous, hyper-growing tropical grass. There are some 1000 species of bamboo; in good conditions it can grow three feet a day.
Wicker's popularity in the western world peaked during the
Victorian era. Cultural sensibilities took advantage of the style's flexibility, producing ornate pieces with arching,
supple lines. In the United States the
Wakefield Rattan and
Heywood Brothers companies dominated the wicker market until the 1920s, when public tastes veered toward
cleaner designs much easier to create with solid wood than wicker. By then, wicker furniture-building was supplemented with looms to bypass the tedium of hand-weaving. A chair woven with skilled hands is a good four days' work.
Thanks to bohemianism, wicker regained popularity in the 1960s and is common in homes today. As I write this I'm in a chair of rattan pole and braided hyacinth, simply designed, unassuming. Current designs have replaced Victorian excess with the utilitarianism of modern architecture.
Wicker is a wood product. It may look like a bunch of varnished yarn, but it is dried and preserved vegetative matter. It needs to be taken care of.
Like any wood, wicker likes humidity. But it isn't outdoor furnuture. Even with thick coats of lacquer it doesn't stand up well to the elements. Because it isn't as porous as solid wood, it doesn't absorb finish or stain well. Put your expensive chair on the patio and you'll find before too long that the stain has started to flake off from wind and sun and tiny pieces of flying debris. A piece accented with delicate material will flake apart even if kept inside, if only from everyday use. Structurally, wicker is very strong ... cosmetically, it is not.
You'll want to dust regularly with a small brush or vaccuum. Wicker furniture is all but made of crevaces which can accumulate lots of filth over a short period of time. Similarly, spills should be attended to immediately, before they have time to dry up in the countless tiny folds. Wiping down occasionally with a damp sponge will provide enough moisture to prevent creaking and cracking, especially if you live in a dry climate.
Once every year or other year, you might consider giving your raw wicker furniture a complete cleaning. Dust it as with regular maintenance, scrub it with warm water and mild detergent. Rinse it off with a garden hose or set it under the shower. Make sure it dries as quickly as possible - set it in front of a fan, or in the wind. If you've got painted wicker wash and rinse it as though it were painted wood — much more gently. After you've washed, give your piece several days to dry before sitting on it or using it again. Sitting in a soggy wicker chair will warp it. Think of a sponge's texture when it's dry and when it's wet.
You may consider adding a coat of varnish — shellac, lacquer, etc. — once you've washed and dried to extend the life of the piece. A thin coat of acrylic resin works nicely. If you're adventurous enough to spray with a compressor, do it outside so you don't pass out from the fumes.
Sources
Yesteryear Wicker
http://yesteryearwicker.com/files/history.htm
Wicker Palace
http://www.wickerpalace.com/about.html#History
Michigan State University
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod02/01500275.html
Personal experience
"Bamboo grows three feet a day? Bullshit!" I hear you say.
Have a look at the Bamboo FAQ, located at http://www.jmbamboo.com/faq.htm under the section entitled "Is bamboo the fastest growing plant in the world?"