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Silkmeaning"silk",thepictogramrepresentingtwostrandsofsilk.)isanaturalfiberthatcanbewovenintotextiles.Itisobtainedfromthecocoonofthesilkwormlarva,intheprocessknownassericulture,whichkillsthelarvae.
SilkwasfirstdevelopedinearlyChina,possiblyasearlyas6000BCanddefinitelyby3000BC.LegendgivescredittoaChineseEmpressXiLingShi.ThoughfirstreservedfortheEmperorsofChina,itsusespreadgraduallythroughChineseculturebothgeographicallyandsocially.Fromthere,silkengarmentsbegantoreachregionsthroughoutAsia.SilkrapidlybecameapopularluxuryfabricinthemanyareasaccessibletoChinesemerchants,becauseofitstextureandlustre.Becauseofthehighdemandforthefabric,silkwasoneofthestaplesofinternationaltradepriortoindustrialization.
PerhapsthefirstevidenceofthesilktradeisthatofanEgyptianmummyof1070BC.Insubsequentcenturies,thesilktradereachedasfarastheIndiansubcontinent,theMiddleEast,Europe,andNorthAfrica.ThistradewassoextensivethatthemajorsetoftraderoutesbetweenEuropeandAsiahasbecomeknownastheSilkRoad.
TheEmperorsofChinastrovetokeeptheknowledgeofsericulturesecretfromothernations,inordertomaintaintheChinesemonopolyonitsproduction.Thiseffortatsecrecyhadmixedsuccess.SericulturereachedKoreaaround200BCwithChinesesettlers,andby300ADthepracticehadbeenestablishedinIndia.AlthoughtheRomanEmpireknewofandtradedinsilk,thesecretwasonlytoreachEuropearoundAD550,viatheEmpireofByzantium.LegendhasitthatthemonksworkingfortheemperorJustinianwerethefirsttobringsilkwormeggstoConstantinopleinhollowcanes.
VenetianmerchantstradedextensivelyinsilkandencouragedsilkgrowerstosettleinItaly.Bythe13thcenturyItaliansilkwasasignificantsourceoftrade.ItaliansilkwassopopularinEuropethatFrancisIofFranceinvitedItaliansilkmakerstoFrancetocreateaFrenchsilkindustry,especiallyinLyon.TheFrenchRevolutioninterruptedproductionbeforeNapoleontookpower.
JamesIofEnglandintroducedsilkgrowingtotheAmericancoloniesaround1619,ostensiblytodiscouragetobaccoplanting.OnlytheShakersinKentuckyadoptedthepractice.Inthe1800sanewattemptatasilkindustrybeganwithEuropean-bornworkersinPaterson,NewJersey,andthecitybecameaUSsilkcentre,althoughJapaneseimportswerestillmoreimportant.
WorldWarTwointerruptedthesilktradefromJapan.SilkpricesincreaseddramaticallyandUSindustrybeguntolookforsubstitutes,whichledtotheuseofsyntheticslikenylon.Syntheticsilkshavealsobeenmadefromlyocell,atypeofcellulosefibre,andareoftendifficulttodistinguishfromrealsilk.
Silkhasrecentlycomeunderfirefromanimalrightsactivistswhomaintainthatthecommonpracticeofboilingsilkwormsaliveintheircocoonsconstitutescruelandunusualpunishment
Otheruses
Inadditiontoclothingmanufactureandotherhandicrafts,silkisalsousedforitemslikeparachutes,bicycletires,comforterfillingandartillerygunpowderbags.Silkundergoesaspecialmanufacturingprocesstomakeitadequateforitsuseinsurgeryasnon-absorbablesutures.Chinesedoctorshavealsousedittomakeprostheticarteries.