HOW IT'S MADE: BEHIND THE SAFARI COLLECTION. Riempie
Posted by Justin Van Breda on Apr 4th 2022
This collection is a deeply personal one, pulling from generations of experiences across Africa. Taking this inspiration back to various workshops in and around Cape Town to bring the pieces alive has allowed us to work with some of the most talented craftspeople across the south of the continent. And more, has allowed us to use a modern interpretation of some of the most spectacular traditional crafts that have been honed by time through generations of makers. Over the next couple of blogs we will look at some of those techniques starting with the fabulous Riempie.
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RIEMPIE
Riempe is made of interlacing strips of rawhide or worked leather hide, created by Cape Dutch settlers in the early 1800’s as a replacement for the traditional European cane webbing found on precious pieces transported all the way from Europe. This cane swiftly succumbed to the baking sun and the humid monsoon season, buckling and splitting in the extreme conditions. Riempie was a practical and readily available solution creating a strong, lightweight and strong chair.
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One of our interpretations of the technique uses Riempie slightly differently, in another typical cane replacement, creating a shadow of a door, with the interlacing strips creating a loose weave panel set against hardwood in a striking contrast of materials.
View the Stellenbosch Bedside Cabinet
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We have also employed the technique in the more traditional coffee tables.
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