“Caning” is a term used to describe a variety of woven furniture styles including hole-to-hole (rattan), wide binding (porch cane), fiber rush, flat reed, and modern cord. Caning designs can be found in chairs, stools, benches, and even as decorative elements on doors and ceiling fans. The practice dates back to ancient Egypt and spread across the globe during the 19th century. In the Appalachian region, craftsmen work hard to keep the traditional practice alive today.

Many of the chairs in our collection are traditional Shaker style ladderback chairs. The well-known religious sect, which originated in England in 1747, emigrated to the United States during the 1770s, bringing with them their identifiable furniture design. The overall shape of the Shaker chair is very simple with little ornamentation, but the seat varies in material and design. Many chair seats were crafted with cloth, fiber rush, and wide binding.

Shaker furniture in general was very utilitarian in their design and was built to last generations. The chairs were made to be lightweight so they could easily hang on the wall while in storage. Some were given a simple coat of paint instead of decorative elements. Common colors include green, blue, red, and yellow.

Two chairs in the exhibit have traditional 19th century rattan seats. This style is largely associated with western European countries like England and France. Caning did not originate in these countries, however. Rattan caning techniques were learned during trade with Asia and the colonization of countries like India and Indonesia. This style then spread to the United States through Colonial England.