There are indications that rattan has been used since the early days of mankind for the production of furniture, though no exact historical data exists. It was originally exported from Indonesia, where it predominately grows, and eventually reached the shores of China. There, skilled craftsman built not only furniture but also baskets and other household items.

It is widely accepted that from China rattan then entered Japan where, within a short time, it became very popular too. It was the Japanese who honed the art of modern rattan furniture. Several production centers developed in Japan and rattan furniture was and remains highly popular in Japanese households.

Singapore, due to its proximity to Indonesia and the availability of skilled craftsmen from China, developed into South East Asia's rattan furniture production center. Until the late 1980s, Singapore was probably the biggest exporter of rattan furniture. Manufacturing came to a sudden end when Indonesia's government decided to stop exporting raw rattan. However, a lot of rattan is still traded and exported.