A Brief
History of Silk
Silk
fabric was invented in Ancient China and played an important role in their
economy and became an iconic facet to China, the emperors and nobility were
typically clad in fine elegant silk dresses and led to become a sign of power
and wealth.
A royal silk gown, only the emperor could wear a dragon with 5 claws.
Legend has
it that the process for making silk cloth was first invented by Emperor Huang –
Ti’s wife Leizu, around the year 2696 BC. The anecdote goes that while Leizu
was enjoying some quiet time in the imperial gardens, a cocoon fell in her tea
and unravelled, while undoubtedly this would have caused an initial stir of abhorrence,
the empress was quick notice that the cocoon was actually made from a long
thread that was both strong and soft.
Emperor Huang - Ti
It is also said that in AD 440, a prince of Khotan (today's Hetian)--a kingdom on the rim of Taklamakan desert -- courted and won a Chinese princess. The princess smuggled out silkworm eggs by hiding them in her voluminous hairpiece. This was scant solace to the silk-hungry people of the West, for Khotan kept the secret too so as to keep a monopoly over it.
Then around AD 550, two Nestorian monks appeared at the Byzantine Emperor Justinian's court with silkworm eggs hid in their hollow bamboo staves. Under their supervision the eggs hatched into worms, and the worms spun cocoons.
Byzantium was in the silk business at last. The Byzantine church and state created imperial workshops, monopolizing production and keeping the secret to themselves. This allowed a silk industry to be established in the Middle East, undercutting the market for ordinary-grade Chinese silk. However high-quality silk textiles, woven in China especially for the Middle Eastern market, continued to bring high prices in the West, and trade along the Silk Road therefore continued as before.
Court ladies pounding silk
By the sixth century the Persians, too, had mastered the art of silk weaving, developing their own rich patterns and techniques. It was only in the 13th century—the time of the Second Crusades—that Italy began silk production with the introduction of 2000 skilled silk weavers from Constantinople. Eventually silk production became widespread in Europe.
Oxford Blue offers a must have range of silk products, the range ties into each other well and most country orientated outfits. We have cufflinks, ties, handkerchiefs and box gift sets. 100% silk, these items will make the perfect gift or simply that added special touch to a finely country wardrobe.
Our range can be viewed here: https://www.oxford-blue.com/collections/ties
