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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 Silk get out of China?
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. 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.
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.
What is silk used to make?
Raw silk is used for clothing such as shirts, suits, ties, blouses lingerie, pajamas, jackets, Hand spun mulberry silk used for making comforters and sleeping bags. Other variety fabric materials like dupions, plain silk, deluxe, satin, chiffon, chinnons, crepe, broacades are made from mulberry silk.
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.
Where is silk found?
India is the second largest producer of silk in the world after China. About 97% of the raw mulberry silk comes from six Indian states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and West Bengal.
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.
What is the best silk in the world?
Mulberry silk is the highest quality silk available for purchase. The unique thing about Mulberry silk is how it is produced. The resulting cocoons are spun into raw silk fibers. Because the silkworms of the Bombyx mori moth are fed only Mulberry leaves, the resulting silk is some of the finest available in the world.
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 brought Turkey silkworms?
Turkey broke into the silk business in 550 A.D., when Byzantine Emperor Justinian talked two Persian monks living in China into smuggling silkworms to Constantinople (now Istanbul).
Who benefited the most by 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.
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.
Does all silk come from China?
While wild silks were produced in many countries, the Chinese are considered to have been the first to produce silk fabric on a large scale, having the most efficient species of silk moth for silk production, the Bombyx mandarina, and its domesticated descendant, Bombyx mori.
Why was silk created?
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.
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.
Did Marco Polo steal silk?
4. Marco Polo spent much of his journey as an envoy for the Mongol ruler Kublai Kahn. The Polos were merchants who dealt in rare items like silk, gems and spices, but their extensive travels were more than just a trading mission.
Who was the exclusive wearer of silk in China?
According to well-established Chinese legend, Empress Hsi Ling Shi, wife of Emperor Huang Ti (also called the Yellow Emperor), was the first person to accidentally discover silk as weavable fiber. One day, when the empress was sipping tea under a mulberry tree, a cocoon fell into her cup and began to unravel.
Which country produces the best silk?
According to the International Sericulture Commission, China is the largest producer and supplier of silk in the world. While, India is the second largest producer of silk and silk products.
Which country is the birthplace of silk?
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.
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.
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.
