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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.
How did Constantinople get silk?
The Byzantine capital of Constantinople was the first significant silk-weaving center in Europe. Raw silk was bought from China and made up into fine fabrics that commanded high prices throughout the world. Later, silkworms were smuggled into the Empire and the overland silk trade gradually became less important.
What else spread across the Silk Road?
Among the different kinds of parasites, bacteria and viruses, and their associated diseases, that were transmitted along the Silk Roads, plague was one of the most notable. Plague is a disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, commonly carried by fleas.
How is silk made in China today?
How is silk made in China today? All butterfly and moth caterpillars produce silk, as do spiders, but only silkworms produce the lustrous, long fiber that is made into commercial silk. Over 300 varieties of this caterpillar are found in China today.
Do silkworms bite?
Silkworms do not bite, sting, or do anything harmful if held. Silkworm eggs are available year-round as they are farm raised.
How long do silkworms live for?
6-8 weeks
| Eggs | 10-25 days |
|---|---|
| Lava and worms | 20-33 days |
| Pupa | 10-14 days |
| Moth | 5-10 days |
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 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.
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).
What was the Silk Road?
The Silk Road was an ancient trade route that linked the Western world with the Middle East and Asia. It was a major conduit for trade between the Roman Empire and China and later between medieval European kingdoms and China.
Is making silk cruel?
Some must immerse their hands in vats of scalding water to palpate the cocoons, causing their skin to become raw and blistered. Children who wind the silk into strands often suffer from cuts that go untreated and can become infected.
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.
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.
What was Justinian’s greatest accomplishment?
Among Justinian’s major accomplishments were:
- He extended the Byzantine Empire dramatically. Justinian extended the empire back into areas that had previously been part of the Western Roman Empire.
- He codified Roman law.
- He had a great deal of building done in Constantinople.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
