Roteção - The bamboo cane weaving technique of the Portuguese Era

November 11, 2020

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Roteção was a traditional method used during the Portuguese era in Goa which involved hand weaving bamboo cane strips into wooden frames of different types of furniture, especially chairs.

Most old Goan homes had furniture with hand-woven strips of cane which, in later years, were replaced by plastic/nylon.

The most common weave was hole-to-hole hand chair caning, in which the wooden frames had holes along the periphery for the cane strips to be woven neatly by hand.

The traditional hand caning weave has a very distinctive and common series of octagonal holes in the pattern when completed. Although there are a number of cane patterns and designs, this seven-step method has proved to be the most durable and longest-lasting of the various hole or lace caning patterns developed over several centuries.

The average lifespan of this chair seat pattern is 25 years, which can easily be achieved with good care and maintenance.

As kids, we used to sit on chairs usually woven out of plastic/nylon wires at our ancestral houses. Poking our tiny fingers inside these holes and pressing against the weave for the pattern to emerge on our cheeks was a common pastime.

My dad tells me about his childhood memories of expert Goan weavers coming to our ancestral house to redo these chairs with a fresh weave once the weave had worn out.

Traditional weavers from Benaulim would walk to Cansaulim (my paternal ancestral house) to do this work.

During early times, only cane cord was used but after liberation, plastic cords became common because they were relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain.

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Incorporating Heritage Elements into contemporary designs!

We at Criativo are trying our best to revive many such techniques, lost traditions and practices of Goa’s yesteryears to enable future generations to connect with the ways Goan ancestors lived.

Unfortunately, most locals are no longer interested in carrying forward this art; only a handful of weavers are keeping this art alive in Goa.

Besides keeping our culture and traditions alive, encouraging and supporting local artisans, craftsmen and artists is one of our key motives behind reviving Goan heritage.

Rotecao 5 — The 2 square stools with Roteção

When the conceptual design is tradition-based, we usually aim to transform the old into the new by incorporating traditional handcrafting techniques in our contemporary products and furniture designs.

We were inspired to create this beautiful space (the lobby of an apartment) using the old technique and art of weaving bamboo cane, Roteção.

Rotecao 6 — Lobby of an apartment. Porvorim, Goa.

We have used the same technique for the two little stools, the central tall unit and the divider between the entrance and the living room, giving the space a warm and vintage look.

We're aiming to create many such fusions of contemporary design with this beautiful cane craft.

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