The Silk Story
T H E S I L K S T O R Y The History of Silk Silk is a beautiful, sensuous natural fabric which for centuries was regarded as the most luxurious of all fabrics. It originated in China over 4000 years ago and legend has it that it was discovered accidentally by the Empress His-ling-shi, the bride of China’s third Emperor Huang Ti. As she was taking tea in the palace gardens beneath a mulberry tree a silkworm cocoon fell into her cup. She was astonished to see it unravel into a long delicate thread. The rest, as they say, is history.  Silk was the cloth of royalty and the aristocracy and the secrets of silk production were jealously guarded. Anyone found to have revealed the secrets or to have smuggled cocoons or eggs outside China was put to death. China started to trade silk to the west when The Silk Road opened in the 2nd century AD. The farming of silkworms is called sericulture. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves prior to the cocoon stage which takes about eight days to complete. Each cocoon is made of one silk filament which can be over 1kilometer in length. Between five and eight of these very fine filaments are twisted together into one thread and these threads are then woven into cloth. The Qualities of Silk  Valued for its softness and warmth, silk was also highly prized in the east for its lightness, and wearing it was described as ‘like being wrapped in a delicate cloud.’ Silk is appreciated for a number of qualities. It is surprisingly strong with a single filament being stronger than a steel filament of the same diameter. It has a unique light reflecting property which gives it a wonderful lustre and an ability to capture colour. Most importantly perhaps, it is valued for being warm in winter and cool in summer. This is because of its ability to absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture without feeling damp.
 Types and Weights of Silk Cultivated silk is a smooth continuous filament of silk which is reeled by hand. Wild silk, also known as tusser silk, is spun and woven with short threads. Silk is graded in weights by ‘momme’ as an indicator of quality. This is the weight in pounds in relation to the length and width of the fabric and 1 ounce is equivalent to 8 momme. Higher momme weights indicate that more silk is used in the weaving process. Silk under 20 momme is considered lightweight, 20-28 momme mediumweight and anything above that heavyweight. Lightweight Tusser Silk Scarves Our tusser silk scarves are produced, as are our cashmere ring shawls, in the war torn disputed region of Kashmir. This is a poor area which has suffered the long and still unresolved conflict between India and  Pakistan and more recently from the devastation caused by the earthquake in the autumn of 2005. Despite the poverty and difficulties the region is rich in the long established skills and dedicated craftsmanship which are so worthy of being preserved but which have come under pressure as cheaper products of inferior quality have entered the market.Black’s tusser silk scarves and shawls are produced by a company which provides work for over 400 families, 200 of which they directly look after. In this way we hope to do a little to support the people of Kashmir and do what we can to ensure that the art of making such beautiful things is preserved for generations to come. Mediumweight Hand Woven Silk Scarves  We like to support, where we can, new small companies who believe in design quality and who use only top quality materials. Many of these small businesses have been set up by women who are passionate about what they do and are meticulous in the way in which they do it. One such company, based in Europe, makes these lovely scarves which achieve their unique lustre through the quality of the silk and the skill of the hand weaving process.Silk and Silky Evening Gloves As well as supporting long established skills and craftsmanship throughout the world, we also try, wherever possible, to support UK manufacturers, especially those which are local to us. One such company, which holds the royal warrant, has been making superb quality gloves in silks and satins since the 1940s. The fit of these beautiful gloves is testament to the skill and care involved in the pattern cutting and manufacturing process and the quality of the designs and fabrics. |
