26 Rattan Chairs and Stools Sellers List Quickly

Rattan seating has a strange habit of sitting on a curb one week and in a boutique window the next. The material is light, cheap to ship short distances, and photographs beautifully against a white wall, which explains why resellers rarely leave a good woven chair behind.

The trick is knowing which pieces carry a designer name, which carry a factory label, and which are simply pleasant chairs that will still move by Saturday. Condition does most of the talking, since broken strands, loose wraps and sagging cane seats can cut an asking price in half.

Peacock Chairs With Tall Fan Backs

The flared, throne-like wicker peacock chair became a portrait prop for decades, most famously in the 1967 photograph of Huey Newton seated in one in Oakland. Many examples were woven in the Philippines, and later waves came from Hong Kong and other Asian workshops during the 1960s and 1970s.

Buyers want an intact fan with no snapped spokes and a base that does not wobble. Depending on condition and age, vintage examples often list in the low to mid hundreds, while restored pairs can climb higher.

Victorian Wicker Rockers From Heywood Brothers and Wakefield

Before the famous mid-century blond wood line, the Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Company was a wicker powerhouse, formed by an 1897 merger of two Massachusetts rivals. Their ornate rockers, with curlicue arms and woven seats, often carry a paper label or a stamped metal tag under the seat.

That tag matters to buyers, as does original paint history, since stripped and repainted pieces draw less interest. Prices swing widely with condition, and a rocker with a solid frame and a clean label sells far faster than one with missing curls.

Lloyd Loom Chairs Woven From Twisted Paper

Marshall Burns Lloyd patented a method in 1917 for weaving twisted paper wrapped around wire on a loom, producing a smooth, tight wicker look at a fraction of the labor. American production ran through his company in Michigan, and a British licensee made the weave hugely popular in England.

Genuine early chairs sometimes carry a Lloyd Loom label or a dated metal tag. Sellers check for split paper strands and rusted wire showing through, since those flaws drag value down quickly, and resale prices depend heavily on condition and paint.

Franco Albini Margherita Armchair

Italian architect Franco Albini designed the Margherita in 1951 for the Bonacina workshop, a woven rattan and Indian cane armchair shaped like an open bloom on a slim base. Vintage originals are scarce, and Bonacina’s later production keeps the design in circulation, so dealers look closely at weave patina and construction details to date a piece.

A sibling model called Gala came from the same period. Values depend on age and condition, but early examples in sound shape can reach four figures or more at design auctions.

Nanna Ditzel Hanging Egg Chair

Danish designers Nanna and Jorgen Ditzel created the rattan hanging egg chair in 1959, and it became one of the defining images of Scandinavian leisure design. Sika Design now produces an authorized version, which means secondhand listings include both older pieces and recent retail purchases.

Buyers ask about the chain, ceiling hardware and any cushion before committing. Even newer examples resell briskly because the retail price is high, though fraying at the suspension point or cracked rim wraps lowers the figure a seller can reasonably expect.

Isamu Kenmochi Rattan Round Chair

Japanese designer Isamu Kenmochi produced a low, rounded rattan lounge chair around 1960 for Yamakawa Rattan, and it has become one of the best-known Japanese designs in the material. The chair combines a thick coiled frame with a deep, bowl-like seat that reads as both modern and handmade.

Later production and lookalikes exist, so age and origin shape the price. Collectors check for split coils and loose bindings, and vintage condition determines whether a listing lands in the mid hundreds or well above that.

Egon Eiermann Rattan Basket Chair

German architect Egon Eiermann designed the E10 in 1949, a squat rattan basket chair with a flat base and a sweeping curved back. Early examples were made by Heinrich Murmann, and Richard Lampert produces the current licensed version.

The chair is low enough to feel casual but crisp enough to suit a modern living room, which keeps demand steady. Buyers look for unbroken weave around the base, where decades of dragging across floors cause the most damage, and price follows condition closely.

Thonet Number Fourteen Cafe Chairs With Cane Seats

The Thonet No. 14, introduced in 1859, is the bentwood cafe chair that made mass-produced furniture practical, shipped flat as a handful of steamed beech parts and a few screws. Many examples were fitted with woven cane seats, and those remain the most requested.

Buyers flip the chair over to find paper labels, branded stamps or Thonet markings, since copies are common. Recaning costs money, so a chair with a torn seat sells for noticeably less, and value depends on age, markings and condition.

Thonet Bentwood Rockers With Caned Panels

Thonet’s bentwood rocking chair, developed in the 1860s, turned steamed beech into a flowing scroll of loops with caned seat and back panels. Later makers produced many near copies, so a maker’s stamp or label under the seat carries real weight.

The rockers photograph well and fit small apartments, which helps them sell fast. Buyers check for cracked bends, loose joints and punched cane, and prices depend heavily on condition, from modest sums for tired copies to much higher figures for labeled early examples.

Marcel Breuer Cesca Chairs

Marcel Breuer designed the cantilevered Cesca chair in 1928, pairing bent tubular steel with bentwood frames holding woven cane in the seat and back. Knoll has produced the design for decades, and unlabeled imitations fill secondhand markets, so buyers check for a Knoll label or a Gavina marking on older chairs.

Sets of four or six move especially quickly. Cane condition drives value, since replacing prewoven cane panels takes time, and rust pitting on the chrome can lower a price as much as a torn seat.

Pierre Jeanneret Chandigarh Chairs

Pierre Jeanneret designed teak and cane seating in the 1950s for the new Indian city of Chandigarh, planned with his cousin Le Corbusier. The office chairs, with their distinctive V-shaped legs, left government buildings in large numbers decades later and now appear at major design auctions.

Reproductions are widespread, so sellers of genuine pieces are expected to provide provenance. Prices for authenticated originals depend on condition and restoration history, and a chair with replaced cane can still sell well if the frame is original.

Gio Ponti Superleggera With India Cane

Gio Ponti’s 699 Superleggera, produced by Cassina from 1957, is a famously lightweight ash chair with a seat woven from India cane. The name means superlight, and promotional photographs showed a child lifting it with one finger.

Cassina still makes it, so secondhand listings mix older and recent pieces, and buyers look for Cassina labels. Slender frames can crack at joints, so sellers examine every connection, and prices depend on age and condition as well as the state of the woven seat.

Paul Frankl Rattan Speed Chairs

Austrian-born designer Paul Frankl brought rattan indoors in 1930s America, and his Speed chair, with arms built from stacked, rounded rattan bands, remains his most recognized piece in the material. The design helped turn rattan from porch furniture into a Hollywood living room staple.

Attribution matters, and many later chairs borrowed the look without his involvement. Buyers compare construction details and documentation carefully, and value depends on authenticity and condition, with restored originals commanding far more than similar unattributed chairs.

John Wisner Far Horizons Seating for Ficks Reed

Ficks Reed, the Cincinnati firm long known for rattan, released John Wisner’s Far Horizons line in the 1950s, blending bamboo-style rattan with campaign-inspired brass details. Lounge chairs and dining armchairs from the line turn up at estate sales and move fast among dealers who know the look.

Many pieces carry Ficks Reed tags. Buyers inspect wrapped joints and brass hardware for looseness and wear, and pricing depends on condition, upholstery and whether the original finish survives.

McGuire Rattan Bar and Counter Stools

McGuire Furniture, the San Francisco company founded by John and Elinor McGuire in 1948, built its reputation on rattan tied with rawhide lashings at the joints. Their bar and counter stools combine that lashing detail with sturdy frames and leather or upholstered seats.

A McGuire tag or stamp adds confidence for buyers, since the style has been widely copied. Dried or broken rawhide is the main flaw to check, and sets sell faster than singles, with prices depending on condition and seat material.

Arthur Umanoff Stools

“Arthur Umanoff Bar Stools” by vintage19_something, source: Flickr, CC by -ND 2.0

Arthur Umanoff designed mid-century bar and counter stools that paired wrought iron frames with rattan or woven wraps, many sold through Shaver Howard. The stools have a lean, slightly Spanish Colonial feel that suits both modern and rustic kitchens.

Umanoff-style copies are everywhere, so documented examples earn a premium. Buyers look for rust, bent footrests and loose wrapping, and a matched pair or set of four sells much faster than a single, with prices set largely by condition.

Bielecky Brothers Wicker and Rattan Chairs

Bielecky Brothers has made handwoven wicker, rattan and cane furniture in New York for more than a century, and the firm’s pieces have long appeared in upscale homes and design showrooms. Older dining and lounge chairs surface at estate sales, often without obvious markings, so dealers learn to recognize the tight weave and solid frames.

When a label is present, it helps the listing. The firm also restores furniture, and buyers weigh wear and prior repairs when setting a price based on condition.

Papasan Chairs With Round Cushions

The papasan, a wide rattan bowl resting on a separate ring base, became a fixture of 1970s and 1980s apartments and dorm rooms through import stores. Its appeal is practical, since the bowl lifts off and the base stacks, making it easy to move.

Many sellers skip the heavy cushion if it is stained, but a clean, thick cushion speeds a sale. Buyers check for split rattan on the rim and a base that sits level, and prices are modest and condition-driven.

Serena and Lily Riviera Counter Stools

Serena and Lily’s Riviera stools, with woven rattan seats and backs on sturdy frames, became a common sight in coastal-style kitchens in recent years. Because the retail price per stool runs high, secondhand sets draw steady interest from buyers furnishing an island.

Listings do best when they name the exact model, height and finish, including backless and sunwashed versions. Frayed weave at the seat edge and wobbly legs lower the price, and resale value follows condition and the number of stools in the set.

Woven Rattan Ottoman Stools and Footstools

Round, drum-shaped rattan stools and footstools, often with a woven top or a tie-on cushion, fill a steady niche as extra seating. Many came from Philippine and Indonesian workshops, and vintage mid-century versions have tighter weaves and heavier frames than recent imports.

They sell quickly because they fit anywhere, from a bedroom corner to a patio. Buyers check whether the top still holds weight without sagging, and prices remain modest, with condition and weave quality setting the range.

Tiki Bar Stools With Bamboo and Rattan Frames

Mid-century tiki culture produced bar stools built from bamboo poles and rattan wraps, sometimes with woven seats or leather tops. Surviving sets from the 1950s and 1960s appeal to home bar builders and collectors of Polynesian pop decor.

Buyers look for tight bindings and frames that have not dried and cracked from decades in sunny rooms. Pairs and sets sell fastest, and pricing depends on age, maker markings if any and overall condition, since many surviving stools have been heavily repaired.

French Cane-Back Dining Chairs

Louis XVI-style dining chairs with oval or square cane backs, many made in France during the 20th century, are a steady mover for sellers. The painted or gilt frames suit both traditional and modern rooms, and a set of six can sell within a day.

Buyers look for torn cane, loose joints and chipped paint, since restoration adds up across a set. Recent reproductions are common, so construction and age matter, and pricing depends on the number of chairs and their condition.

Mid-Century Rattan Barrel Swivel Chairs

Barrel-back rattan swivel chairs, often built on a metal swivel mechanism beneath a round woven body, were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. They combine comfort and mobility, which keeps them in demand for reading nooks and offices.

Buyers test the swivel for grinding, check for split bands around the rim and look for original cushions. A pair sells especially quickly, and prices vary with condition and upholstery, from affordable singles to higher sums for restored sets.

Calif-Asia Rattan Lounge Chairs

Calif-Asia rattan furniture from the mid-century period turns up regularly at West Coast estate sales, and its lounge chairs and chair-and-ottoman pairs attract steady attention from dealers. The pieces typically use thick rattan poles with bent arms and deep cushions.

A surviving label helps the listing, though many pieces have lost theirs. Buyers check for peeling wraps at the joints and faded finishes, and pricing depends on condition, cushion state and whether the set is complete.

Children’s Wicker Rockers and Chairs

Small wicker rockers and child-size armchairs, especially the ornate Victorian and early 20th-century examples, sell steadily and well to nursery decorators and doll collectors alike. Their scale makes them easy to ship and display.

Buyers look closely for broken spokes, missing curls and loose rockers, since small parts snap easily after a century of use. Original paint or natural finish adds appeal, and prices range from modest to strong depending on age, maker labels and condition.

Wicker Vanity and Boudoir Stools

Wicker vanity stools from the 1920s and 1930s, often painted and fitted with a small upholstered top, were part of bedroom sets from American wicker makers. Today they sell quickly to buyers finishing a dressing table or bathroom corner.

Buyers check whether the woven skirt is intact and whether the legs are sound. Original paint layers and labels add value, and pricing depends on condition, with sagging tops and broken strands reducing what sellers can ask.

Why Woven Seats Keep Moving

Rattan and cane reward sellers who look closely. A chair that seems like a generic porch piece can carry a factory tag, a designer attribution or a museum-worthy pedigree, and the difference often hides under the seat.

The sellers who move pieces fastest learn the labels, the weaves and the telltale joint details.

The broader lesson is that lightness sells. Woven seating is easy to carry, easy to photograph and easy to imagine in a new room, which shortens the path from listing to sale.

Condition still sets the ceiling, but a sound woven chair rarely waits long for a buyer.

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