Silk: There are few fabrics with a greater reputation for luxury or a more storied past. Produced for thousands of years, the Silk Road brought silk from China to Europe during Roman times. It is one of the most beautiful and strongest fibers in the world.
The Ancient History of Silk
The oldest forms of silk come from moths. Ms. Prasad examines the history of the silkworm, starting before its domestication 4,000 years ago. She shows how Chinese farmers harvested wild silkworm cocoons 7,500 to 5,000 years ago and wove their silk into cloth. She shows how this moth, now known as the Bombyx, was domesticated, and how an industry that eventually spread worldwide grew around them.The Bombyx is not the only moth discussed in this section. She also examines silks produced by wild (and semi-domesticated) moths native to India and Africa. Along the way, she introduces people prominent in the study of silk, and the insects that produce this silk it.
The book goes beyond moths. In the second section Ms. Prasad reveals other historic sources of silk. The pinna nobilis, a now nearly-extinct mollusk, had been the source of “byssus” silk since at least the Roman times. The book explains how spider silk was harvested starting in the 16th century, and the various attempts to create a spider silk industry from the extremely strong fabric it yields.
“Silk” is a fascinating book. While it’s a comprehensive scientific look at silk, it’s also an adventure story. It tells as much about the explorers seeking to unravel silk’s mysteries as it does about silk itself.
