Many people may be surprised to learn that the rise of rattan furniture has a lot to do with Southeast Asia’s colonization. As Western power colonized most of Southeast Asia during the late 19th century and early 20th century, they needed furniture to sit on.
When colonizers came to the new countries, they found materials that they were not used to working with, such as rattan, palm, and bamboo. They used this to create something that could comfort their home, such as chairs to sit on. Many of the places they colonized did not traditionally use chairs for sitting on.
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