Even faux-bamboo pieces can be traced as far back as the Ming dynasty in China, making them timeless as well. The style is experiencing a resurgence and is popular with people who seek a sophisticated but relaxed look that also has a storied pedigree. Faux examples from the Victorian era are especially sought after.

Bamboo export furniture first became popular in America in the 18th century, when trade with China was established. Though tea, silk, and porcelain comprised the bulk of trade, bamboo pieces were also imported. "To buy bamboo from China in the 18th century, you had to have means," says Graham Boettcher, a curator at the Birmingham Museum of Art. "Not just anyone could afford it."

Compared to furniture of the day -- made from heavy and dark mahogany or walnut -- bamboo was something of a passing novelty. It would be another hundred years before an event would spur a bamboo revival, and imitative interpretations would make it accessible and give it lasting cachet.

The opening of Japan to Western trade in the mid-19th century renewed a rage for all things Asian, and such art and objects flooded the market. The International Exhibition of 1862 in London and the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia, both with Japanese pavilions, further fanned the flames. It became popular for rooms or corners to be given over to the exotic style.

"William H. Vanderbilt had an entire room outfitted in a Japanese scheme," says Boettcher. Bamboo furniture, however, was not considered proper for formal settings and was reserved for themed rooms, guest quarters, and summer homes.