________"patience and the mulberry leaf become a silk gown"_________
in 2640 B.C. Chinese princess Xi Ling Shi was the first to reel a cocoon of silk which, legend also has it, had dropped into her cup of tea. From that historic moment, the Chinese discovered the life cycle of the silk worm and for the next 3000 years were to keep their monopoly of silk.
In the 3rd Century B.C., Chinese silk fabrics were beginning to find their way throughout the whole of Asia, and were transported overland to the west, and by sea to Japan. In the 7th Century, the Arabs conquered the Persians, capturing their magnificent silks in the process, and helped to spread sericulture and silk weaving as they swept victoriously through Africa, Sicily and Spain. In the 10th Century, Andalusia was Europe's main silk-producing centre.
The next significant event in the development of the silk industry was the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 Throughout the 18th Century, silk continued to prosper in Europe, Japan and above all in China. European missionaries to China reported that "even the simplest soldiers are dressed in silk".The 19th Century is characterised by two contradictory trends: increased mechanisation and the consequent increase in productivity in the silk industry.
The early part of the 20th Century, the silk industry succeeded in maintaining a strong position through its technical innovations and the development of silk blended with other fibres.
#Four loom parts made of bronze were excavated from the Shizhaishan site, Jinning, Yunnan Province. They consist of a warp beam, a heddle rod, a weft beater, and a cloth beam. Together they form a simple backstrap loom. They were constructed of wood and bamboo and discovered at the bottom of a wooden coffin, along with remnants of silk threads and dyes.
Shiny, lustrous, soft yet strong, it can be beautifully and brilliantly dyed.China Is the World's Foremost Silk Producer.
🍀Silk moths lay around 500 eggs during their lifebspan of four to six days. After the eggs hatch, the caterpillars are fed a diet of mulberry leaves in a controlled environment. Their body weight increases substantially.
🍀After storing up enough energy, the silk caterpillars (silkworms) surround themselves with fibers of a white jelly-like substance. Their cocoons resemble white, yellow, pink, and brown furry balls. They are pretty.
🍀After eight or nine days, the silkworms (actually caterpillars changing into moths) are killed. The cocoons are lowered into hot water to loosen up the tight protective filaments that are then unraveled, wound onto a spool, and later spun into thread. The cocoon filaments might be 600 to 900 meters long! Several filaments are twisted together to make a thread.
Reference: Textiles the whole story by Thames & Hudson
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/weaving-techniques-silk-manufacturing-machines-china-national-silk-museum/RgUxqvk1aTuFLQ?hl=en
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/chinese-silk.htm
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