A very fine fibre obtained from the cocoons of silkworms. Japan and China provide most of the high-quality cultivated silk. The fabrics are renowned for their lustre, drape, and handle. The rearing of silkworms (sericulture) originated in China before 1100 BC; major finds have been uncovered in 2nd-c BC tombs. The secret of silk manufacture passed to Japan at an early date, but not to Europe until the early modern period. Previously it was believed to grow on trees, or to be taken from a great horned worm.
The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoon of silkworm larvae reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance for which silk is prized comes from the fibres' triangular prism-like structure which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles.Early history
Silk fabric was first developed in ancient China, possibly as early as 6000 BC and definitely by 3000 BC. Because of the high demand for the fabric, silk was one of the staples of international trade prior to industrialization. Although the Roman Empire knew of and traded in silk, the secret was only to reach Europe around AD 550, via the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines were equally secretive, and for many centuries the weaving and trading of silk fabric was a strict imperial monopoly;
Silk trade
Perhaps the first evidence of the silk trade is that of an Egyptian mummy of 1070 BC. In subsequent centuries, the silk trade reached as far as the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. This trade was so extensive that the major set of trade routes between Europe and Asia has become known as the Silk Road.
Wild silks and other types of silk
"Wild silks" are produced by a number of undomesticated silkworms.
A variety of wild silks have been known and used in China, India, Vietnam, and Europe from early times, although the scale of production has always been far smaller than that of cultivated silks.
Wild silks are produced by caterpillars other than the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori). This allows a much stronger cloth to be woven from the silk. Wild silks also tend to be more difficult to dye than silk from the cultivated silkworm.
There is some evidence that small quantities of wild silk were already being produced in the Mediterranean area and the Middle East by the time the superior, and stronger, cultivated silk from China began to be imported.
Many different types of silk are produced by a huge variety of different types of insect (other than moth caterpillars), yet none of these have been exploited for commercial purposes, though there is basic research into the structures of such silks, as there is some variation at the molecular level. Silk production is especially common in the Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), and is sometimes used in nest construction. Other types of arthropod produce silk, most notably various arachnids such as spiders (see spider silk).
Europe
Venetian merchants traded extensively in silk and encouraged silk growers to settle in Italy. By the 13th century, Italian silk was a significant source of trade. Since that period, the silk worked in the province of Como has been the most valuable silk in the world. Italian silk was so popular in Europe that Francis I of France invited Italian silkmakers to France to create a French silk industry, especially in Lyon. James I attempted to establish silk production in England, purchasing and planting 100,000 mulberry trees, some on land adjacent to Hampton Court Palace, but they were of a species unsuited to the silk worms and the attempt failed. Silk was also used in Medieval Europe for the Kings, Queens, Lords and Lady's.
India
Silk, known as 'pattu', is widely produced in India today. Historically silk was used by the upper classes, while cotton was used by the poorer classes. Today silk is mainly produced in Kanchipuram, Dharmavaram, etc., in South India and Banaras in the North. The silk is traditionally hand-woven and hand-dyed and usually also has silver threads woven into the cloth. Most of this silk is used to make saris. Garments made from silk form an integral part of Indian weddings and other celebrations.The saris usually are very expensive and vibrant in colors. In the 1800s a new attempt at a silk industry began with European-born workers in Paterson, New Jersey, and the city became a US silk centre, although Japanese imports were still more important.
World War II
World War II interrupted the silk trade from Japan. Synthetic silks have also been made from lyocell, a type of cellulose fibre, and are often difficult to distinguish from real silk.
Islam
In Islamic teachings, Muslim men are forbidden to wear silk. Furthermore, Islam also prohibits the slaughter of animals for "sport" or "luxuries", hence the Islamic prohibition against the use of silk (a single pound of which requires the killing of 3000 silkworms, according to PETA.).
Muslims/Moors brought silk with them to Spain during their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Animal rights
The process of harvesting the silk from the cocoon kills the larvae.
Other uses
In addition to clothing manufacture and other handicrafts, silk is also used for items like parachutes, bicycle tires, comforter filling and artillery gunpowder bags. Early bulletproof vests were also made from silk in the era of blackpowder weapons until roughly World War I. Silk cloth is also used as a material to write on.
Mongols used silk as part of the under-armor garments. Silk is so tough that it was actually used as very light armor, although its special use (the big secret) was to stop arrow penetration into the body.
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