Journal of Fiber Science and Technology

The ornamental gold silk is a special kind of costly silk fabrics, and it is considered to have a long history in ancient China. This study investigated the origin of the ornamental gold silks and the corresponding gold-decoration techniques, and offered an earlier time for the origin of the ornamental gold silk. Moreover, different gold-decoration techniques were summarized in three categories, i.e. the gold foil method, gold thread method and gold powder method, based on the shape of the processed gold materials. According to the analysis of the complexity of the three techniques, it confirmed that the gold powder method and the gold foil method predated the appearance of the gold thread method, and a query about the existing timeline of gold foil method and gold powder method was proposed.