What was the only way to produce silk in China?
Table of Contents
What was the only way to produce silk in China?
The invention of silk in ancient China by Empress Leizu was said to be the start of sericulture. Sericulture is the process of farming silkworms to create silk fabrics, which became a very profitable industry in China.
How did the secret of silk get out?
The West finally cracked the secret in 552 CE when the Byzantine emperor Justinian sent two Nestorian monks to central Asia. The monks hit the eggs in their hollow bamboo staves. The eggs hatched into worms which then spun cocoons.
How was silk created?
Silk fibres are produced by silkworms when they spin themselves into a cocoon on their journey to becoming a silkmoth. These ultra-soft fibres are harvested from the cocoon in their raw state by being boiled in hot water (still containing the silkworms) and stirred until the cocoons unravel.
How was silk invented in China?
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.
Why do you think the Chinese were so determined to keep how they produced silk a secret?
WHY DO YOU THINK THE CHINESE WERE SO DETERMINED TO KEEP HOW THEY PRODUCED SILK A SECRET? Chinese women kept it a secret because they did not want anyone else producing silk, silk worms and how they unwound the cocoons.
Why do you think the Chinese were careful to keep the secret of how they make silk?
Why do you think they so carefully guarded the secret of how to produce silk? Silk was in demand but difficult to produce and, therefore, valuable. The Chinese guarded the secret to control production and keep the profits. Their trade depended on silk and they did not want to lose trading power.
Did the Chinese invent silk?
Silk is a fabric first produced in Neolithic China from the filaments of the cocoon of the silk worm. As China’s most important export for much of its history, the material gave its name to the great trading network the Silk Road, which connected East Asia to Europe, India, and Africa.
How and where is silk produced?
Silk is produced from cocoons spun by the bombyx mori species of silkworm, typically reared on mulberry leaves. 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.