Quick Answer: How Was Silk Discovered

According to Chinese legend, Empress His Ling Shi was first person to discover silk as weavable fibre in the 27^th century BC. Whilst sipping tea under a mulberry tree, a cocoon fell into her cup and began to unravel. From there, silken garments began to reach regions throughout Asia.

How was silk Fibre discovered?

Chinese folklore holds that silk was discovered in the 27th century BC when a cocoon fell from a mulberry tree into the teacup of the Chinese Emperor’s wife. She watched the cocoon unravel, revealing a long delicate thread.

When and where was silk discovered?

The earliest evidence of silk was found at the sites of Yangshao culture in Xia County, Shanxi, where a silk cocoon was found cut in half by a sharp knife, dating back to between 4000 and 3000 BC. The species was identified as Bombyx mori, the domesticated silkworm.

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.

How did Khotan know the secret of silk production?

However, Khotan also kept the secret, so the mystery of silk continued for the westerners. By 300 CE Japan learned the secrets of silk production when a Japanese expedition managed to take some silkworm eggs and also four young girls who were trained in the art of creating the material.

What is pure silk fabric?

Pure silk is woven after treating the yarns chemically which removes all sticky protein layers. Raw silk is woven from untreated yarns which contain sericin. In its most natural form, the yarns are quite uneven and that gives the fabric a slightly coarse yet smooth texture with a gorgeous sheen.

Why did the Chinese want to keep silk a secret?

Silk became a prized export for the Chinese. Nobles and kings of foreign lands desired silk and would pay high prices for the cloth. The emperors of China wanted to keep the process for making silk a secret. Anyone caught telling the secret or taking silkworms out of China was put to death.

Is the silk route still used today?

In the 13th and 14th centuries the route was revived under the Mongols, and at that time the Venetian Marco Polo used it to travel to Cathay (China). Part of the Silk Road still exists, in the form of a paved highway connecting Pakistan and the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China.

Is Silk a commodity?

Since silk was highly valued and appriciated outside China as well, lenghts of silk became a well-established trading commodity between China and foreign countries.

Why is silk important?

Silk is a very fine cloth known for its light, strong texture, and is often used to make clothing, scarves, neckties, and decorative wall hangings. In fact, the Chinese used silk to send arrows flying on curved wooden bows, for musical instruments, and for fishing lines.

How did the secret of silk get out?

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.

What made silk so valuable?

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.

What country did silk 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.

What is the story of silk?

Silk is a fine, smooth material produced from the cocoons – soft protective shells – that are made by mulberry silkworms (insect larvae). Legend has it that it was Lei Tzu, wife of the Yellow Emperor, ruler of China in about 3000 BC, who discovered silkworms.

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.

Did Rome make silk?

During the 1st century BC silk was still a rare commodity in the Roman world; by the 1st century AD this valuable trade item became much more widely available. In his Natural History (77–79 AD), Pliny the Elder lamented the financial drain of coin from the Roman economy to purchase this expensive luxury.

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.

Why was silk so expensive?

Silk was expensive because it was brought all the way from China, crossing dangerous roads through mountains and deserts. People who lived along the routes demanded payments for allowing the traders to pass through. This increased the cost of silk.

How long was silk kept a secret?

Anyone caught telling the secret or taking silkworms out of China was put to death. The Chinese managed to keep silk a secret for over 1000 years.

How was silk stolen from 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.

Who stole the secret of silk from China?

In 552 AD, the two monks sought out Justinian I. In return for his generous but unknown promises, the monks agreed to acquire silk worms from China. They most likely traveled a northern route along the Black Sea, taking them through the Transcaucasus and the Caspian Sea.