--- title: "Rattan Pendant Lights: Choosing Them, Keeping Them" description: "How to tell a carefully woven shade, how rattan, seagrass and bamboo differ, damp-proofing, cleaning, and why a rattan lamp does not belong in a bathroom." canonical: https://denhachi.thenexova.cloud/en/journal/rattan-pendant-lights-guide lang: en last-updated: 2026-10-04 --- [Materials](/en/journal/topic/materials) · Start here # Rattan pendant lights: what to look for and how to keep them > How to tell a carefully woven shade, how rattan, seagrass and bamboo differ, damp-proofing, cleaning, and why a rattan lamp does not belong in a bathroom. Nguồn / Source: https://denhachi.thenexova.cloud/en/journal/rattan-pendant-lights-guide How to tell a carefully woven shade, how rattan, seagrass and bamboo differ, damp-proofing, cleaning, and why a rattan lamp does not belong in a bathroom. [Huỳnh Thị Mến](/en/workshop/makers/huynh-thi-men) · Rattan, seagrass and dó paper shades · Published 12 May 2026 · Updated 4 Oct 2026 · 8 min read ![Close-up of curved woven strips on a lamp shade, warm light raking across the fibres](/_astro/material-rattan.BrpJdrut_Z2wqjDH.jpg) A good rattan pendant shows itself in five places: an even, tight weave, fibre ends tucked inside rather than poking out, matching shades within a set, a frame that won’t rust, and a cable and socket that are properly secured. Keeping one in good shape is simpler: hang it in a dry, ventilated room, dust it every month with a soft brush or a dry cloth, never spray it with water, use only LED bulbs, and never hang it in a bathroom or on a porch that catches the rain. I’m Mến, and I weave the shades at the workshop. I learned from my mother. One Ø45 cm shade for our Hạ Chí (Summer Solstice) pendant takes me two days. This is what I check when I pick up a shade, ours or anyone else’s, and what I tell people once the lamp is hanging in their home. ## Rattan, seagrass and bamboo are three different things In Vietnamese they often get lumped together as “mây tre đan”, woven rattan and bamboo. To someone making shades, they are three quite different fibres. | Fibre | How it feels in the hand | Light through the shade | What we use it for | | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | Rattan (mây) | Pliable, bends into curves, splits into fine strips | Can be woven open, lets light out sideways, patterns walls and ceiling | Hạ Chí, Đông Chí, the two square-weave shades in Xuân Phân | | Seagrass (cói) | Soft, twisted into cord, woven tight | Sends light down into one pool, soft around it | Lập Thu, Tiểu Mãn | | Bamboo (tre) | Stiff, holds a shape, hard to bend into an even round | Suits geometric shades with straight slats | We don’t make bamboo shades | We don’t make bamboo shades, and that isn’t because bamboo is worse. My hands know rattan and seagrass, and our lamps need evenly rounded shades, which rattan does more easily. A closer comparison, with photos of light through each fibre on the same wall, is in our note on [rattan, seagrass or bamboo](/en/journal/rattan-seagrass-or-bamboo-shades). ## What to look for in a shade These are the five things I check. You can do the same in any shop without knowing how to weave. | Where to look | A carefully made shade | Worth asking about | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | The weave | Strips evenly spaced and tight; doesn’t shift when pressed | Gaps in some places, crowding in others; strips slide under your thumb | | Fibre ends | Tucked inside, locked or glued down | Ends sticking out, sharp to the touch, will work loose | | Matching within a set | Shades the same size and shape | One shade a few centimetres bigger than the next | | The frame inside | Brass, or metal with paint fully intact | Iron with flaking paint, rust marks at the welds | | Cable and socket | E27 socket fixed firmly, a knot or clamp holding the cable so the lamp’s weight doesn’t hang on the electrical connections | Cable loose at the socket, nothing holding it but the terminals | Matching is the one I watch most. I weave on wooden moulds, one per size, so the three Tiểu Mãn (Grain Buds) shades or the two rattan shades in a Xuân Phân (Spring Equinox) set come out the same. Without a mould it is very hard to weave two shades alike by hand, and in a row over a counter or table a few centimetres shows straight away. The frames inside our shades are brass, bent by hand by Lộc on wooden jigs, about half a day each. Brass doesn’t rust the way iron does. Raw brass (unlacquered) darkens over the years; if you want a fixed colour, matte black and matte white frames cost the same. More on that in [raw brass and patina](/en/journal/brass-lamp-patina). ## Vietnam’s rattan trade, in a few numbers According to figures from the forestry authority reported by VnBusiness, Vietnam exported USD 474 million of rattan and bamboo products in 2019, up 44.4% on 2018; the EU took 31.44%, the US 19.5% and Japan 9.3%. In the first eight months of 2025, according to Vietnam Customs, rattan, bamboo, sedge and carpet products reached USD 574 million, up 5.4% year on year, with the US the largest buyer at USD 266 million. The Vietnam Craft Village Association is aiming for USD 6 billion in handicraft exports by 2030. In other words, woven rattan and bamboo is a large export trade, made in batches to foreign buyers’ specifications. A four-person workshop like ours makes about thirty lamps a month, each one for a particular room. Where the two ways of working differ, and how to judge any lamp for yourself, is in [export rattan lamps vs a small workshop](/en/journal/export-rattan-lamps-vs-small-workshop). ## Damp and mould: where to hang it, how to clean it Rattan and seagrass are plant fibres and take moisture from the air. Every shade we make gets a matte moisture coat before it leaves. The coat lets a shade cope with an ordinary room in Ho Chi Minh City, rainy season included. It doesn’t turn a shade into outdoor furniture. Where not to hang a rattan lamp: - A bathroom, even one with an extractor fan. - A porch, balcony or anywhere rain blows in. - Next to a humidifier, over a steaming pot, above the kitchen sink. - A room shut up for days with no air conditioning, fan or open window. Cleaning: - Once a month, brush off dust with a soft brush or wipe with a dry cloth. Dust holds moisture, so this matters most. - No spraying, no damp cloths, no bleach. - Switch off and let the bulb cool before you clean. If spots have already appeared, what to do and when to call us is in our note on [rattan lamps in the rainy season](/en/journal/rattan-lamps-humidity-care). ## Example: Nhà Chín Phòng in Đà Lạt Toàn and Nhung run a nine-room homestay on a hillside in Lâm Viên - Đà Lạt ward (Lâm Đồng province). Đà Lạt is cold and damp. Guests wanted to read in bed without glare when they lay down. We chose nine [Đông Chí](/en/collection/dong-chi) (Winter Solstice) pendants for the bedsides: a closed rattan bell with one open band so light escapes sideways. They take 4 W 2700K bulbs instead of 6 W, at no change in price. The shared lobby has a [Xuân Phân](/en/collection/xuan-phan) set over the six-seat dining table. All the rattan is moisture-coated. We didn’t use dó paper there, because dó paper doesn’t suit damp places. | Item | Price before VAT | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | | Đông Chí × 9 | VND 21,600,000 | | Xuân Phân | VND 9,800,000 | | Wooden crate shipping | VND 1,200,000 | | Travel and two days of installation | VND 3,000,000 | | **Total** | **VND 35,600,000** | The lamps were crated at the workshop and Khang went up to Đà Lạt to install them over two days. As the owners put it: “Guests keep asking to buy the bedside lamps. I give them the workshop’s number.” Details are on the [Nhà Chín Phòng project page](/en/projects/nha-chin-phong-homestay-da-lat). ## Bulbs and heat: why LED only According to the US Department of Energy’s consumer guide to lighting, old incandescent bulbs released 90% of their energy as heat and only 10% as light; LEDs use up to 90% less energy and, unlike incandescents, are cool to the touch. Inside a shade of rattan, seagrass or paper, heat is the thing we want least. Every lamp we make ships with an E27 LED bulb (the standard screw-in size sold in any electrical shop in Vietnam), 2700K (a warm, yellowish white close to an old incandescent), 6 W, plus a spare. When you replace it, buy the same kind. We never fit incandescent or halogen bulbs into rattan, seagrass or dó paper shades, and the shade is always held clear of the bulb, never touching it. Khang leaves every lamp lit for 24 hours before packing. Any lamp where the shade touches the bulb or a connection is loose goes back to the bench. ## Brass and dó paper: two alternatives Not every room suits rattan. If you want soft, even light with no pattern, a shade of giấy dó (dó paper, made from the bark of the dó tree) is the alternative: available on Lập Thu (Start of Autumn, VND 400,000 extra), Tiểu Mãn (VND 300,000 extra per shade) and Xuân Phân (VND 800,000 extra for the set). Dó paper suits dry, air-conditioned rooms, like Uyên’s reading corner in the An Khánh apartment. More in our note on [dó paper bedside lamps](/en/journal/do-paper-bedside-lamp). ## Where people go wrong - **Buying from a photo without handling the shade.** A photo won’t show loose strips or ends poking out. See it in person, or ask the seller for a close-up of the inside. - **Hanging rattan in a bathroom “because there’s a fan”.** An extractor doesn’t make a bathroom as dry as a bedroom. The shade is likely to go mouldy, and damage from hanging it in the wrong place is hard to call a workshop fault. - **Cleaning with a damp cloth.** Water soaks into the fibre and sits in the weave. Soft brush or dry cloth only. - **Fitting an incandescent bulb “for a warmer glow”.** A 2700K LED gives nearly the same warmth without baking the shade. - **Buying single shades to make a set.** Hand-woven shades without a mould rarely come out the same size. A row should be ordered together and woven by the same hands. - **Leaving the lamp in a closed-up flat for a month.** If you’re away in the rainy season, leave a window ajar or put a fan on a timer. ## How we do it at the workshop Every shade I weave is entered in the workshop ledger, matched to the number engraved under the lamp's canopy. If a shade ever needs repair within the 24-month warranty, the number tells us who wove it and on which mould. I choose and split the rattan, weave it on a wooden mould, apply the matte moisture coat and let it dry before it goes onto Lộc’s brass frame. Khang wires it, lights it for 24 hours, and packs it. From your deposit to delivery is three weeks. Frame and shade are guaranteed for 24 months; bulbs and cable follow the manufacturer’s warranty. Care for each material is on our [care and warranty page](/en/care-and-warranty), and more on our rattan on the [rattan materials page](/en/materials/rattan). To see a rattan shade in your own room, [send a room photo](/en/light-mock-up): Hà draws the lamp into it, with the weave’s pattern on the walls, and sends it back within 48 hours, the first version free. To handle the shades yourself, [book a visit](/en/visit-the-workshop) to the workshop in Gia Định ward (old Bình Thạnh), Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 18:00\. All six items are in the [collection](/en/collection). ## Sources and last check - VnBusiness, [handicrafts aim for USD 6 billion by 2030](https://vnbusiness.vn/thi-truong/duoc-thi-truong-the-gioi-ua-chuong-thu-cong-my-nghe-viet-nam-dat-muc-tieu-den-nam-2030-dat-6-ty-usd-1109553.html), 16 September 2025, citing Vietnam Customs and the Vietnam Craft Village Association (Vietnamese). - VnBusiness, [rattan and bamboo exports grow strongly](https://vnbusiness.vn/xuat-khau-may-tre-tang-truong-manh.html), 10 March 2020, citing the forestry authority (Vietnamese). - US Department of Energy, [Consumer Guide to Energy-Efficient Lighting](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-08/ES-EE%20Lighting%5F080921.pdf). How to judge a shade, where not to hang one and how to clean it come from our own experience at the workshop, not from a technical standard. Prices are from our 2026 price list, before 8% VAT. Last checked 4 October 2026. ## See it in your room first Send a room photo, get a light mock-up in 48 hours. [Send a room photo](/en/light-mock-up) ## Sources checked 1. [Vietnamese handicrafts aim for USD 6 billion in exports by 2030 (VnBusiness, 16 September 2025, Vietnamese)](https://vnbusiness.vn/thi-truong/duoc-thi-truong-the-gioi-ua-chuong-thu-cong-my-nghe-viet-nam-dat-muc-tieu-den-nam-2030-dat-6-ty-usd-1109553.html) 2. [Rattan and bamboo exports grow strongly (VnBusiness, 10 March 2020, Vietnamese)](https://vnbusiness.vn/xuat-khau-may-tre-tang-truong-manh.html) 3. [Consumer Guide to Energy-Efficient Lighting (U.S. Department of Energy)](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-08/ES-EE%20Lighting%5F080921.pdf) ## Lamps in this article [![A round, slightly flattened open-weave bamboo pendant with a diamond pattern, low sun glowing warm through the strips beneath a reed ceiling](/_astro/lamp-ha-chi.BOagvipy_25FkIz.jpg)Hạ Chí2,900,000 VNDRattan pendant · Living room, dining table for four](/en/collection/ha-chi)[![A closed-weave domed pendant glowing warm amber, its light pouring down through an open metal frame below, a second lit shade blurred behind](/_astro/lamp-lap-thu.BFxKdxO-_UMlJI.jpg)Lập Thu1,900,000 VNDSeagrass pendant · Reading corner, small bar](/en/collection/lap-thu)[![A tall bell-shaped pendant in dense woven rattan, its inside glowing warm yellow under a dark ceiling with steel beams](/_astro/lamp-dong-chi.nPpUbf6k_1ilc0j.jpg)Đông Chí2,400,000 VNDRattan bell pendant · Corridor, bedside](/en/collection/dong-chi) ## Read next - [MaterialsRattan, seagrass or bamboo: three fibres, three kinds of lightRattan bends and can be woven open, so light escapes sideways. Seagrass weaves tight and sends light down. Bamboo is stiff and suits geometric shades.](/en/journal/rattan-seagrass-or-bamboo-shades) - [MaterialsRattan lamps in the rainy season: preventing and treating mouldWhy rattan takes on moisture, where not to hang it, monthly cleaning, and what to do if spots appear on the shade. What our warranty covers.](/en/journal/rattan-lamps-humidity-care) - [MaterialsExport rattan lamps and small-workshop lamps: where they differExport goods are made in batches to a foreign buyer's spec; a small workshop makes one lamp for one room. What to check in the weave, frame, cable and socket.](/en/journal/export-rattan-lamps-vs-small-workshop)