Keeping the art of cane furniture alive
Even though demand for it has shrunk with the arrival of lightweight wooden furniture, cane furniture is still sought after by many twin cities’ residents, most of whom travel to the cane wood market near Chak Madad Khan Bridge.
Here, many shops still sell cane furniture painstakingly woven by artistans into sofa sets, rocking chairs, swings, tables and baskets and more. These pieces are displayed in front of the shops, causing people to stop to check their prices.
The furniture itself is made of solid cane sticks and steel nails, and soft cane strips are used to tie the joints together. Stoves are used to straighten the cane, while varnish and synthetic paint is used to bring colour and shine to pieces if the buyers do not want to retain the original colour.