The Discoveries and History of Silk

Figure 1: Wealthy women wearing silk in China.

What is Silk?

Silk is a fine fabric or cloth, which is woven from a thin fiber into beautiful tapestries, clothes, and textiles; being known for its softness and smoothness. And is often renowned with it's use in royalty and luxury with its elegance (Kuhn 98).

Why was Silk needed for Ancient China?

Silk was unrivaled form of currency within ancient China, with citizens and nobles alike using it, along with it being the most important items in ancient Chinese fashion, being the main fabric of royalty. Silk also brought huge development in China’s culture, being a unfortunate cause of civil wars because of its price and high demand. Religion was also affected by silk with large amounts of religious clothing being weaved from silk (Grotenhuis 10-12).

Figure 2: The preparing of silk worms.

Figure 3: A gathering of Wealthy Chinese Woman.

Figure 4: Silk worms and mulberry leaves are placed on trays.

Figure 5: Twig frames and worms are prepared by men.

Figure 6: Cocoons are weighed and sorted.

Figure 7: The boiling process of silkworm cocoons.

Figure 8: The silk is woven using a loom.

How was Silk made and how did it work?

The process of making silk starts by placing cultivated mulberry leaves and silk worms onto trays, then are placed on to twig frames for the worms to spin their cocoons. Once weighed and sorted, the cocoons are placed into a boiling pot in order to acquire a substance called "sericin." Sericin is then processed into long silk threads which are sequentially woven by women into silk cloth. Silk can be created into a variety of clothing, tapestries, textiles, and other forms of art using a loom. A loom is an ancient machine used in modern day since 5,000 years ago. By using techniques including weft and warp threads you can stock pile silk into compact sheets.

What impact did the Silk have on later civilizations?

Silk was a crucial and highly valued resource for China’s economy, with its production relying on specially trained weavers who hand-wove silk for centuries, up until about 100 to 150 years ago. However, with the age automation and mechanized weaving techniques, the significance of hand weaving silk diminished, as machines were able to produce it in much larger quantities, creating a surplus that reduced its rarity and value (Vasile 132).

Figures 9 and 10: The byzantine empire and the Roman empire both sought silk as a means of trade and wealth

Figure 11: Marco Polo on the silk road

What else made Silk historically important?

Silk was at the forefront of trade between the Eastern and Western worlds, playing a crucial role in the development of international trade routes known as the Silk Roads. These routes, which spanned vast distances and connected civilizations, not only controlled the exchange of goods, but also promoted cultural, technological, and intellectual exchanges. As a result, these routes helped ancient China rise to dominate all throughout Asia's history. (Vasile 131).

Want more? These websites feature articles and information about silk in ancient and modern China!

Medieval Chinese Textiles. - Interesting Chinese art and textiles.

Silk with World History. - The history of Silk in more detailed way.

Silk and Paper. - A brief but detailed overview on silk and paper.

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