Tag: Asia

Beauty is a property associated with human beings. This could be considered even as a characteristic. Beauty is not only related to human beings. Beauty can be associated with locations, certain concepts, certain things etc as well. This property or characteristic named beauty makes other people happy about it. Any thing beautiful is a joy for others to watch.

The word beauty was originally taken from Greek language. According to the Greek interpretation, the word’s meaning was according to one’s hour. This has philosophical implications as it implies that every thing beautiful has to belong to its time. So any one who is trying to look too younger or older for their actual age cannot be considered beautiful!!

Now the concept of beauty is universal. But the way people from one geographical location analyze beauty can be different from the perception of beauty as looked at from some one from a different geographical location. These are the cultural differences of beauty. A beautiful person in American culture may not be the same as that in African culture. A simple example is the weight of the person. In the western culture beauty is synonymous with skinny. But in many parts of Africa and Asia, being fat is considered beautiful. This could be understood in the case of Stone Age man, as a fat person would have a much better chance of surviving a famine. When hunting was the major source of one’s income, having a really fat wife would have been the equivalent of riding a Lamborghini in today’s world!!

Even today in Mauritania, a country in Africa, girls are fattened to such a degree that they are at risk of getting sick at a very young age. As very fat girls are the only ones who get married easily there, it is a common practice there to force feed the girls to extreme levels.

Most societies considered being fat as beautiful until a century ago. The concept of thin beauty is a very recent phenomenon.

The common saying is that, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This phrase defines the subjective nature of beauty to the full extent. As is the case of body weight explained above, people from different cultures tend to look at beauty from different viewpoints.

When it comes to religion, they give more weight to the inner beauty of the person. This usually refers to the character of the person more than his or her looks.

Beauty has mathematical properties too. Beautiful things are usually symmetric and proportional. The Greeks believed that the proportion of the features of any beautiful person must be as per golden ratio. Modern studies have proven that the Greeks ideas on beauty were correct.

Caning is a process of weaving furniture from wicker and rattan vines. The process is very labor intensive, since everything is done by hand. Making cane furniture requires countless hours and very skillful hands. Each of the hundreds of strands must be accounted for.

Caning is prominently found in Asia, especially in countries like Malaysia and the Philippines. Caning was first seen during the 18th century. It was in the form of a wooden chair that had a string mesh seat. Since its conception, caning has won the hearts of millions of people.

Cane can last for generations. Do not let its looks fool you. Canes are known for their durability. In fact, it is stronger than ordinary wood. At first glance, this type of furniture may appear weak because it lacks solid support from materials like steel and iron. However, if you really test it out, you will notice it is very solid. It can withstand hundreds of kilos without any problem. People that have owned a cane chair or couch know how durable it is.

Aside from durability, cane is also famous for its comfort. Since this kind of furniture lets air flow freely, it is very comfortable. You will never feel stuffy in a cane chair or couch. In fact, cane is more comfortable leather. This type of furniture is perfect for non-air-conditioned rooms.

Another thing that makes cane furniture stand out from the crowd is its prominent artistic value. Each strand is carefully weaved for maximum support and beauty. You can choose from hundreds of designs found in the internet or home depots.

Cane also comes in a variety of colors. The most basic color is light brown, since this is the natural color of rattan vines. However, some manufacturers color their products. Some of the most common colors are dark brown, black, white, and dark red. Picking a color that matches your living room or bedroom decor would be best.

Since cane furniture comes in different shapes and different colors, getting something that appeal to your sense of style is totally possible. Unlike other wooden or steel framed furniture, weaved ones do not have any shape restriction. You can even find designs that are not possible with solid framed furniture. A good example of this is the round nested design, which looks as if it is just floating on the floor.

Cane furniture would cost anywhere from 600 up to 30000. The price would depend on the quality of the work and material. You can find great bargains on the internet. Ones that have some minor damage are relatively cheaper, but getting them fixed might take a couple of days. If you are on a tight budget, you can buy one that does not have any finishing, like paint and varnish.

Applying the varnish and paint is relatively easy. The only thing that you would need is a paint brush. It will take around 8 hours for the paint and varnish to completely dry up. As weaved furniture becomes older, its price also appreciates. Keeping and taking care of them will definitely pay off.