Maybe visit a local upholstery shop near you for cushion ideas. Did you consider having the support added underneath so the pretty caning can be seen?

Thank you! I have inquired at a local upholstery shop about the seat cushion idea. I’ll follow up and ask about your idea of having support added — interesting idea!

You are overthinking. Cane is incredibly strong unless someone has something sharp in their back pocket. To some extent these will always be delicate chairs, as you note the whole frame is thin, no amount of reinforced cushion will help that.

Thank you! Really appreciate your thoughts! The chairs seem very solid. When I looked on the bottom side of the seat of the chair, I did not see little holes with the hand-tied knots or newer method of securing caning to the frame. It seemed like maybe for this kind of chair, the caning is simply glued to top of the seat. I'm not sure. The frame of the chair seems very solid, though.

Probably sheet caning held in with a spline... For your idea to work the plywood cushion would have to be as big as the frame, meaning the cushion would extend to the outside of the frame of the chair versus sitting between the arms. This means the total cushion thickness could be no more than the distance from the top of the seat frame to the bottom rung (1 1/2"?)

Yes - that makes sense.

I think you are trying to prevent what is a non-issue.

There were various caned chairs in my home when growing up. They seemed to last a good amount of time without any kind of special care and as I recall periodically they would be recaned.

I don't think this is a major thing to do - and really no different than fabric furniture needing to be reupholstered. I am not an expert on caning but I think furniture is now done with sheets of cane rather than having someone weave the cane.

Many many years ago caning was a skill that was taught to blind people although I suspect that is long past as an occupational vocation. As I recall in the recesses of my childhood brain, my mother would hire someone from the Lighthouse in New York which is an organization for the blind.

Thank you very much for your thoughts, and for the very interesting background story!

Beautiful chairs and bamboo is highly sought today. An accent chair with awesome interest. Fits in any decor.

Thank you for your thoughts!