Table of Contents
The West finally cracked the secret in 552 CE when the Byzantine emperor Justinian sent two Nestorian monks to central Asia. The monks hit the eggs in their hollow bamboo staves. The eggs hatched into worms which then spun cocoons.
Who smuggled silk out of China?
Legend has it that two monks hid silkworm eggs inside a bamboo pole to smuggle them out of China, where they were guarded as closely as state secrets. The monks then presented the eggs to Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople, where he created a thriving silk industry.
How did the silk making process leave Asia?
Knowledge of silk production eventually left China via the heir of a princess who was promised to a prince of Khotan, likely around the early 1st century AD. The princess, refusing to go without the fabric that she loved, decided to break the imperial ban on silkworm exportation.
How long did China keep silk a secret?
Smuggling Silk The Chinese managed to keep silk a secret for over 1000 years. However, in 550 AD the secret of silk became known to other countries when two monks from the Byzantine Empire managed to smuggle some silkworm eggs out of the country.
Where is silk made today?
More than 60 countries around the world produce silk, but the bulk of production is concentrated in only a handful of places – China, India, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
Who found silk?
According to Chinese legend, Empress His Ling Shi was first person to discover silk as weavable fibre in the 27th century BC.
Do silkworms turn into butterflies?
The silk used by humans comes from the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori. The silkworm is the caterpillar of a moth in Lepidoptera, the order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. Just like butterflies, silkworm moths begin their life as an egg that then hatches into a growing, feeding caterpillar.
What is the best grade of silk?
3. Ensuring High Quality Grades of Silk in your Silk Pillowcases. Silk quality is graded A, B, or C, with Grade A being the best. Grade A silk is the highest quality long-strand silk from cocoons that are pearly white in color.
How did Silkworms get to Europe?
In 552 A.D. two Nestorian monks, under orders from the Emperor Justinian, smuggled silkworm eggs from China and bought them to Europe. This was the beginning of the silk industry in the West. Sericulture spread rapidly throughout Europe and Asia during the following centuries.
What is silk used for today?
Silk is primarily used in garments and household items, but it is also employed in unexpected ways, such as in bicycle tires and in medicine. Silk is great for summer clothing because of its absorbent nature and how it wicks moisture, and it is also a staple for winter wear since it has low conductive properties.
How is silk made in China today?
Silk Production from Silkworm Cocoons 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. Several filaments are twisted together to make a thread. The silk threads are woven into cloth or used for fine embroidery.
How was silk created?
The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. Silk is mainly produced by the larvae of insects undergoing complete metamorphosis, but some insects, such as webspinners and raspy crickets, produce silk throughout their lives.
Why was exporting silkworm eggs a crime?
Exporting silkworms, silkworm eggs or mulberry seeds was punishable by death. It was more profitable to export the finished product than the means of production. The Chinese monopoly on the secrets of silk production and manufacture was eventually broken.
Why was revealing the secret to making silk punishable by death?
Why was revealing the secret to making silk punishable by death? Trading silk with other regions made china wealthy. If others learned how to make silk; it would not be as valuable.
Where did silk originally come from?
Origins in China. The origin of silk production and weaving is ancient and clouded in legend. The industry undoubtedly began in China, where, according to native record, it existed from sometime before the middle of the 3rd millennium bce.
Who brought the silkworm to Europe?
Silkworms were introduced to Europe during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, in the early 6th century AD. According to tradition, some silkworms were brought to Constantinople by a pair of Nestorian monks, along with the knowledge of how to cultivate them.
Why is silk so valuable?
Why silk is so expensive. Silk is the epitome of luxury when it comes to fabric whether it’s for robes, sheets, or dresses. Silkworms spin cocoons that silk producers eventually unravel and join to create the thread. Silk production costs have gone up with the introduction of synthetic fabrics like polyester.
Who benefited the most from the Silk Road?
Everyone (East and West) benefited from the Silk Road. It opened up trade, communication, different ideas, culture, and religion to the entire world.
Is Silk a commodity?
Silk was the main commodity in the trade list in silk roadjudging from the road’s name. According to the Chinese, silk was discovered one day when a queen accidently dropped a silkworm cocoon into her hot cup of tea, and as she plucked it out, unravelled a shiny, silken thread.
When was silk stolen?
In the mid-6th century AD, two monks, with the support of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, acquired and smuggled silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire, which led to the establishment of an indigenous Byzantine silk industry.
Why is silk so important to China?
Silk is important because the desire for it started trade between China and the Old World. Silk was a main staple of pre-industrial trade. Various goods were traded along the Silk Road, and the trade route opened up political and economic relationships between China, India, Persia, Arabia and Europe.
How did silk affect China?
Silk is a fabric first produced in Neolithic China from the filaments of the cocoon of the silk worm. It became a staple source of income for small farmers and, as weaving techniques improved, the reputation of Chinese silk spread so that it became highly desired across the empires of the ancient world.
