Abstract: To investigate the confining effect of traditional rattan hoops on the drying shrinkage cracks of mortised timber columns and their impact on axial compression performance, a study was conducted upon nine circular cedar columns subjected to natural drying and axial compression tests. The research parameters included the number of rattan hoop turns, mortise form, and dimensions. The analysis of dry cracking damage reveals that the mortise significantly increase the dry cracking damage rate δ and the maximum dry crack width w_c,max. Rattan hoops effectively reduce the δ and w_c,max in mortised columns, with both decreasing as the number of rattan hoops increases. Experimental findings show that the failure mode of the specimens was primarily axial compression failure, accompanied by minor overall or by local unilateral buckling, and that asymmetric mortise exacerbated the local unilateral buckling phenomenon. Rattan hoops effectively suppressed crack propagation during loading. The peak load decreased significantly with an increasing sectional loss rate due to the mortises. Furthermore, the rattan hoops enhanced the ductility of the mortised specimens, and this enhancement improved as the number of hoop turns increased. Based on the research results, a model for the axial load-bearing capacity of rattan-hooped timber columns considering the effects of initial dry cracks and of mortise was established. Compared with the calculation methods in existing domestic and international standards, the model proposed demonstrates better agreement with the experimental results. This study provides a theoretical basis for the design and performance evaluation of mortised timber columns using traditional rattan hoops, offering a valuable reference for the inheritance and improvement of traditional timber structure construction techniques.