Story of Silk
The Legend of Silk
According to Chinese legend, silk was first discovered in 2640 BC by
XiLingJi, the fourteen year old wife of China's third Emperor -the so
called "Yellow Emperor"- HuangDi.
It is said that XiLingJi was having tea beneath a mulberry tree in the
palace gardens, when a cocoon fell from the tree into her cup of hot tea.
She and her handmaidens were astonished to see the cocoon start to unravel,
revealing a long delicate thread. XiLingJi was so delighted by its beauty
and strength that she had thousands of cocoons collected and then wove
them into a robe for the Emperor.
The History of Silk
Silk has been regarded by the Chinese as the ultimate luxurious cloth
for over 4000 years. Originally only the Emperor could wear it. Later
high officials at court were granted the privilege. As production techniques
improved, so its usage spread. At one point it was even recognised as
a form of currency. China started to trade silk westwards when the trading
route we now call The Silk Road opened in the 2nd Century AD. The secret
of how to make silk was successfully kept on pain of death in China for
nigh on 2500 years. Eventually it got out to Khotan, an oasis just north
of the Tibetan Plain, in the 5th century. A Chinese princess was betrothed
to the King of Khotan. She smuggled cocoons and mulberry seeds in her
headdress.
Around 550 AD, it is said that two Christian monks successfully smuggled
cocoons in their bamboo walking staffs back from Khotan to Constantinople.
They had been commissioned to the task by Emperor Justinian of Byzantium.
The secret, or techniques, of silk production only spread further west
some 700 years later. France and Italy were the leading European manufacturers
by the 15th century. Some of the Huguenots, having fled France and Flanders,
set up a silk weaving complex at Spitalfields in London in the 1620s.
Warm in Winter, Cool in Summer
The Eastern nobles valued Silk for its softness and warmth and preferred
it for its light weight; "Like being wrapped in a soft and delicate
cloud" they said. Perhaps most importantly of all, they praised its
ability to seem "Warm in Winter; Cool in Summer". This is caused
by its 'breath-ability' which enables it to absorb as much as 30% of its
weight in moisture without feeling damp. Yet the higher the moisture the
cooler it seems to the body. This almost thermostatic quality of silk
means that you will not 'boil up' in the early hours of the morning, as
is common with other sorts of duvets.
Silk Today
The silkworm, Bombyx mori has been domesticated for centuries. Silkworms,
being flightless, are totally reliant on highly skilled humans, and are
therefore extremely labour intensive. 1 Kg of silk is produced by 6000
silkworms, after consuming 200 Kg of mulberry leaves. A filament from
a silkworm can be over a mile long; although half a mile is more normal.
Between 5 and 8 of these filaments are twisted together to make a thread.
Today silk is grown mainly in Asia, with China steadily regaining her
traditional major market share by increasing production. The demand for
silk has increased steadily over time, despite the inroads made by much
cheaper man-made fibres. The fact is that people prefer silk over almost
any other fibre when circumstances allow. As prosperity spreads, so does
the demand for silk.
Silk's natural hypoallergenic qualities have come to be increasingly appreciated
across the modern world. Silk bedding is a great blessing to all allergy
sufferers, who may be prone to Asthma, blocked sinuses, or other hay fever
like symptoms. Many people are allergic to Dust, or House mites, and,
unlike many bedding materials (particularly Down, Feathers and Wool),
Silk will not accommodate these mites
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