McGuire (San Francisco) Chair Repair

 This is the finale to the mysterious rattan chair. A simple machine cane and oversize spline which could be reduced, trimmed and contoured to match the rattan chair parts. Staining was a torture, but the customer was happy with the end result. Thanks to all who responded here and on the Caners' Forum.

Here is a chair with an overlay instead of reed spline. Anyone handled this kind of repair? The overlay is placed with great precision, mitered corners. Probably not the place for too much steam on this kind of construction. I don't want to start digging without a real firm idea of the "exit strategy".
I'll try adding in a new thought. This chair back is wrapped front to back with a sheet of cane  and a veneer is applied over it. How to fix that??
UPDATE:
4/27/11 -- Discovery! Slowly, With help from a Hickory furniture designer, for whom I had rewoven a rocker bottom, I am learning about how this chair was caned at the factory, probably Phillipines or Malaysia. There is apparently a groove and rattan spline, with the splines mitered at the corners. The spline is then sanded and finished even with the rattan  rails and stiles(or verticals). A perfect place for the skills of a former surgeon,eh? Now to approach the customer after finding the appropriate materials.