Nestled between marble factories and shops near Westridge and the Chak Madad Khan Bridge towards I.J. Principal Road, the cane furniture market’s swing chair business is thriving.

There was a time when workers could be seen making cane furniture at the side of the road, but as trends change, demand for swing chairs made from iron and plastic wire have increased and the market has now turned its attention to those.

Commonly known as jhoola, swing chairs come in various shapes and are easy to move around the house.

But making these chairs is an extensive process, requiring more than seven workers to turn the iron and plastic into a swing.

To begin, a blacksmith cuts and shapes iron rods so that a swing can be hanged from them.

Then, weavers and painters spend a day making the chair.

Weavers who had difficulty finding work for the last few years have found their way back to the market to weave various designs on swing chairs using plastic wire or cane strips.

But even though business is thriving, workers’ wages have fallen. “Last year, the owner of the shop paid Rs700 per chair to weave plastic wire, but this year the daily wage has been reduced to Rs400 per chair,” Raja Nasir, a weaver, told Dawn.

He said that due to the increase in the number of chair weavers in the market, the owners are paying them less. “There used to be two to three people in this field, and now there are more than 20.”

The 34-year-old said he learned the craft in Kohsar Market in Islamabad, from an expert who had come from Lahore. However, he said, Rawalpindi had become the main wholesale market for swing chairs, which are then supplied to other cities.

Store owner Malik Adil said the chairs were copies of Chinese furniture that arrived in the market three or four years ago.

“We copied it, and it became popular because it is more affordable than the imported item. It is available in the market for Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 per chair,” Mr Adil said.

“Some people want cane wire instead of plastic wire, but that is more expensive. We also make cushions from foam and cotton,” he added.

He said the price of cane wood was higher because workers make the swings by hand, without any machinery, and it takes them two days to complete a chair or some other piece. Weaving plastic wire, on the other hand, can be completed within two or three hours by just two workers.

Mohammad Munir, a 65-year-old shopkeeper who began this business in the area, said the cane trend had returned, but with some new additions.

“Swing chairs made from cane are being replaced with plastic wire, which is easily available. Cane is imported from Sri Lanka and it becomes expensive to bring it from Karachi to Rawalpindi,” he said.

“It is lightweight and easy to handle compared to traditional wooden swings. Most people hang them in the balcony in the apartments,” Mohammad Tariq, a customer, said.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2018