Wiles Theme. 4. Silk spawned the longest ancient trade routes - the Silk Road. The methods of silk production were considered such a closely guarded secret that could be threatened with death whoever would have revealed it. Silk is difficult for insects to penetrate through, which leaves you bite-free during those summer months. 21 Silk Road Facts for Kids. Here are some interesting facts about these incredible insects. Now you know it is a whole lot more. that half a kilo of caterpillars eats up to 12000 kilograms of mulberry tree leaves In its lifetime? Silk is produced by silk worms (Bombyx mori) to form the cocoon within which the larvae develop. Thats pretty long. July 8, 2015, cherran, Leave a comment. and traded it across the world through the Silk Road because it was very valuable and costly. Caterpillars produce silk through an opening on their lips known as the spinneret that releases liquid silk. For some more fun facts, check out “Fun Facts about Turtles for Kids”. The name Silk Road was developed in 1877 by Baron Ferdinand Von Richthofen. Silk, animal fibre produced by certain insects and arachnids as building material for cocoons and webs, some of which can be used to make fine fabrics. 9. that the cocoon is made of a single continuous thread of raw silk around 1 kilometer (2/3 of a mile) long? 4. To make one pound of silk, about 3000 cocoons are boiled in water. that a silk rope is stronger than an equally thick metal wire? Silk glands hold a fluid known as "spinning dope," with proteins called spidroins arranged in a liquid crystalline solution. Bred in ancient China for over 5,000 years, silkworms were prized for producing silk. During ancient Chinese times they began to be cultivated for their silk. Silk shimmers because silk fibers naturally refract light. If you bleach a dark colored silk fabric such as a sheet that is burgundy it wont turn pink. They dont weigh much either, only about 5 grams or a little under 2 ounces. Bleach destroys the silk fabric and turns it an ugly yellow color that I dont think any decorator will ever find trendy or fashionable. Here are a list of interesting facts about silk. Powered by WordPress. 1. The raw silk fibers, which are about 10 micrometers in diameter are very lustrous and fine. Facts About Silk Fabric. People in Europe and Asia greatly desired it. Silk is a natural protein fibre that can be woven into textiles. It was through the silk road that imperial Chinese silk reached luxury-seeking Romans, who also added flavor to their food with spices from the East. Here are some Silk Road facts. 10 Sensational Facts About Silk. The Chinese invented silk in 3000 B.C. Silk has good elasticity and moderate elongation, when it is dry, the elongation varies from 10 to 25 percent; when wet, silk will elongate as much as 33 to 35 percent. The properties of silk. Yet the actual trading value of silk and silk products is in many billions of dollars since the unit price for raw silk is roughly twenty times that of raw cotton. Silk is naturally hypoallergenic. 1. Silk was used for other purposes than clothing such a paper, fishing lines, bowstrings, and canvas for painting. Silk and the process of making it is nothing short of amazing. See What Was Traded on the Silk Road and Why. The fibroin-heavy chain is composed mostly of beta-sheets, due to a 59-mer amino acid repeat sequence with some variations. Tussar silk, spelt differently around different regions in India, was known as Kosa silk in ancient India. Caterpillars have 4000 muscles which are almost six times the number of muscles in humans. Silk Road, ancient trade route, linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. WatchMojo.com Recommended for you. 866.586.3339. Leave a comment. Silk will curl away from the flame and leaves a brittle and crushable black bead after burning. Legend has it that the secret of silk escaped China when a Chinese princess smuggled cocoons out of the country with her when she married a foreign prince by hiding them in her elaborate hairdo. Some experts say the best way to get dried blood out of silk is by using human saliva. Did you think silk was just a piece of fabric? that a silk worm eats 40000 times its own weight's worth of mulberry tree leaves between its birth and its pupating? Its only job is to lay eggs. Its low conductivity keeps warm air close to the skin during cold weather. July 8, 2015, cherran, Leave a comment. The Silk Road was a connection of land trade routes that connected thousands of miles between the East (Asia) and West (Europe). About 2,000 to 3,000 cocoons are required to make a pound of silk. Four to eight of the silk filaments are twisted together to obtain one strand of silk thread. that a single silk worm can produce up to 15m of fiber per minute? He called it the Silk Road. that the fiber has an average width of 20 µm? The institution and revival of silk ceremonies met with varied success in the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, though throughout the latter two, Lady Xiling was remembered in a dedicated building within Beihai Park to the north of the Forbidden City imperial compound in Beijing. It is true. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the route. The adult silk moth cannot fly. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is said to cause a delay in a person getting wrinkles because of the essential amino acids in silk bedding. The naturally occurring substance found in the cocoon the silkworm spins protects it from various natural threats is not harmed during the process of turning the filament into silk fabric. It originates in Ancient China. From Xi'an/Luoyang, through Central Asia, and to Constantinople on the eastern edge of Europe, the Silk Road covered about 6,000 kilometers or 4,000 miles. 31 - Duration: 10:19. Once the liquid silk gets into contact with the air, it hardens into silk. Silk has medium resiliency. Another legend says the secret of silk production left China via the walking staffs of two monks who hid silkworms in the hollow shafts of them because of a request to do so by Emperor Justinian. The “burn test” will indicate whether not a piece of fabric is silk. 6. Silk obtained from wild silkworms, although still good quality, is not of as high a quality as silkworms who are pampered and fed an exclusive diet of mulberry leaves. Silk can protect you from pesky mosquitoes! Uses. A single specimen is capable of producing a 0.025 mm thick thread over 900 metres (3,000 ft) long. Note, comments must be approved before they are published. Silk is a natural fibre made by the silk worm cocoon. In fact there was an embargo on the export of the means to produce silk and it is only about 3 000 years later on that Byzantium learnt the secret and that the silk made his way into the West. Silk has a miniscule percentage of the global textile fiber market – less than 0.2%. Silk, a Chinese invention, was one of the world's first global commodities due to its high value per weight and the ease with which it could be carried, stored, and packed. The silkworms are fed every half hour around the clock. Silk fibres are very strong and are often used to make cloth. that it takes up to 10 kg of cocoons to obtain 1 kg of silk. The first known example of silk dates back to 3630 BC. It takes around 30,000 silkworms to produce 12 pounds of raw silk. It will turn yellow. Bred in ancient China for over 5,000 years, silkworms were prized for producing silk. It stretched for almost 8,500 km. © 2020 Silk Sheets – Your Guide To Silk Sheets. The essential amino acids in silk bedding are why sleeping on silk is good for your hair. 10 Sensational Facts About Silk. Here are some facts about the uses of … The production of silk originated in China in the Neolithic period (Yangshao culture, 4th millennium BC). It is a lightweight fabric which makes light and comfortable clothing that is warm in winter and cool in summer. The silk road is a name coined by German geographer F. Von Richtofen in 1877, but it refers to a trade network used in antiquity. 10 Silk Road Facts - WMNews Ep. Several such filaments are then twisted together to make a thread thick enough to be used to weave material. He was a geographer, and while making a huge map of China, he showed a connecting line between China and Europe. Its a naturally self adjusting fabric. 5. Interesting Facts about Silk It wasn't until the Qing dynasty, which ruled from 1644 to 1911, that peasants were allowed to wear silk clothing. Interesting Facts About Silk, Silkworm, Cocoon & Sericulture. At 2 percent elongation the fiber has a 92 percent elastic recovery. © 2020 Silk Sheets – Your Guide To Silk Sheets. Introduction - Han Dynasty Silk Road Facts One of the most interesting facts about the Han Dynasty is that it was during this period that the trade routes called the Silk Road (also called Silk Route) were established. Caterpillars are known for silk production. Named for the Chinese silk trade, which utilized these routes, the Silk Road had great historic significance. The saliva breaks down the proteins in the blood thereby releasing them from the silk fabric. facts about silk, silk scarves. The fluffy white cocoon spun by a silkworm is one long continuous silk filament that when unwound is usually between 600 and 900 meters long or as long as 1,600 yards. Silk is known as the ‘Queen of fabrics’ and for good reason - for thousands of years, the complex, labour intensive and time-consuming process of creating silk was carried out in the utmost secrecy, making silk fabrics very special and expensive. Does that mean if you sleep on silk bedding bad hair days will be a thing of the past? These trade routes were given the name “Silk Road” because of the valuable silk traded along them. Silk went westward. Soon after that the moth dies. Silk comes from the cocoons of mulberry silk worms. It was also as valuable as gold. Silk was a status symbol in ancient China. Acknowledgement: Facts about silk in this writing have been borrowed from various sources such as Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Brittanica. 10:19. Wet strength is about 80 to 85 percent of the dry strength. Northern China Natives . But it is really the sound of silkworms munching on those chopped mulberry leaves. Silk scarves were used by pilots of early aircraft to keep oily smoke from exhaust out of their mouths while flying. The finest silk comes from the silkworms produced by the Bombyx mori moth. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. The Silk Road was an ancient trading route, that stretched across much of Asia from China to the Mediterranean Sea. No wonder silk is so expensive! Silk is hypoallergenic! All Rights Reserved. The hard work of a silkworm results in high quality fabric for humans. Here are 12 fascinating facts about silk and its culture in China. Here are some interesting facts about these incredible insects. Its production involved three main stages: seri-culture (the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of … that one single filament can reach a lenght of up to 4000m? One pound of silk represents about 1,000 miles of filament. Do you know that the process of making silk was invented by the Chinese many thousands of years ago and that even though many other countries are now well known for their silk making abilities, it is still the Chinese who are the true masters of it and who produce about half the silk made in the entire world? Silk, a Chinese invention, was one of the world's first global commodities due to its high value per weight and the ease with which it could be carried, stored, and packed. That may be why the secret of silk is said to be the most zealously guarded secret in history. 8. that it takes more than 25 mulberry trees to obtain 6 pounds of silk? Facts about Silk. Fabrics were created using looms, and treadle-operated versions appear in, for example, the murals in tombs of the Han dyna… The production of silk originated in China in the Neolithic period (Yangshao culture, 4th millennium BC). Silk fibers from the Bombyx mori silkworm have a triangular cross section with rounded corners, 5–10 μm wide. The cloth from silk can be made into rugs, bedding, or can be used to write or paint on. If you visited a silkworm producing facility and entered a room where the silkworms were being raised, it would sound like there was heavy rain falling on the roof. The official term for silk production is “sericulture”. Silk's absorbency makes it comfortable to wear in warm weather and while active. Here are our 10 favourite facts about silk. At one point in history, the Chinese authorities were so adamant about protecting their secret about silk that anyone giving the secrets away or smuggling out silkworms or their cocoons was punished by being put to death. Silk was made in ancient China. Silk is a natural fibre made by the silk worm cocoon. The Silk Road had its beginnings around 130 BC when the Han Government dispatched General Zhang Qian as an envoy to build good relationships with small nomadic states west of … She, by reason of the discovery, has been deified and is worshipped as the goddess of silk worms. The Silk Road was at its peak between … Those 500 eggs the Bombyx mori moth lays are very tiny, about as big as the point of a pin. Silk can protect you from pesky mosquitoes! The glamorous luxury-fabric has been one of China’s greatest feats, as well as its best kept secret. Due to its composition of triangular-like prisms and structure of the fibers, silk naturally reflects light from many different angles. Silk has been around for thousands of years. A highly versatile fabric, silk has proven to be ideal for a variety of uses – from formal wear to sleepwear, from parachutes to rugs, from medical sutures to prosthetic arteries. The glamorous luxury-fabric has been one of China’s greatest feats, as well as its best kept secret. that it takes more than 25 mulberry trees to obtain 3 kg of silk? Here are some other fun and amazing facts about silk: A silkworm multiplies it weight 10,000 times from time it is hatched until about 1 month later when it has enough energy stored to start spinning its cocoon. During ancient Chinese times they began to be cultivated for their silk. Northern China Natives . Silk and the process of making it is nothing short of amazing. Silk was a symbol of wealth and power in ancient China, because only the rich and those in authority were allowed to wear silk garments, while poor people were prevented from wearing it. It is, therefore, highly moisture absorbent, able to absorb as much as a third of its own weight in moisture without feeling damp. The cross-section from other silkworms can vary in shape and diameter: crescent-like for Anaphe and elongated wedge for tussah. Silk scarves were worn by pilots of closed cockpit aircraft to prevent chafing; especially fighter pilots, who were constantly turning their heads watching for enemy aircraft. Now you know it is a whole lot more. Silk bedding is recommended for people who suffer from dust mite allergies. It is the strongest natural fibre. Facts About Silk Fabric Chinese history credits the invention of silk fabric to Yuen Fei, the concubine of an Emperor who ruled in 2,600 B.C. The History of Silk Production in China. The route was named for the profitable trade in Chinese silk which took place along … This laid the foundation for the Silk Road. Updated on April 23, 2017 and traded it across the world through the Silk Road because it was very valuable and costly . Chinese history credits the invention of silk fabric to Yuen Fei, the concubine of an Emperor who ruled in 2,600 B.C. The Chinese invented silk in 3000 B.C. The Silk Road was the longest ancient overland trade route. Understand Facts About Silk from Asia and How Invisible World Offers Hand Painted Apparel. It is often used for clothing such as shirts, ties, blouses, formal dresses, high fashion clothes, lingerie, pajamas, robes, dress suits, sun dresses and Eastern folk costumes. The flat surfaces of the fibrils reflect lightat many angles, giving silk a natural sheen. September 05, 2017. The US is the largest silk importer in the world. For more facts on silk and silk production, search on Yahoo for “silkworms” and “silkworm kid’s facts.” Silkworms create beautiful silk that has many uses in society. The Interior Design Move to Natural Materials, Advantages of Long-staple Cotton Bed Sheets. Then poor people wore clothes of hemp or ramie, which are nettle-like plants. 6-11 Silk Facts. Silk fibres are very strong and are often used to make cloth. Around the thirteenth century, Italy became one of the major producers of silk. Wild silkworms have to eat whatever food is available so the filament thread they weave their cocoons of is not as white as the captive raised silkworms nor is it as smooth and round. Did you think silk was just a piece of fabric? She, by reason of the discovery, has been deified and is worshipped as the goddess of silk worms. In 1877, Ferdinand Van Richthoten, a prominent geographer who worked in China from 1868 to 1872, coined the term "Silk Route" while making a Silk Road map, because the Chinese mainly traded silk. Silk is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It can be dyed in many colours. Legend has it she dropped a cocoon into hot tea and it unraveled. by Elizabeth / Tuesday, 20 December 2016 / Published in Silk History & Uses. In commercial use, silk is almost entirely limited to filaments from the cocoons of domesticated silkworms (caterpillars of several moth species belonging to the genus Bombyx). Its production involved three main stages: seri-culture (the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of … All Rights Reserved. The first known example of silk dates back to 3630 BC. This kills the silkworms and makes the extraction of silk easier. One moth will lay approximately 500 eggs over a 4-6 day period. No wonder they multiply their weight by 10,000 times in a month. Silkworm fibers are naturally extruded from two silkworm glan… This natural protein fiber will not irritate those with sensitive skin. The Silk Road: Connecting the ancient world through trade - Shannon Harris Castelo - … The moth cannot fly nor can it see. Silk fabrics were very valuable, light and easy to transport on the Silk Road. I dont know exactly what those defensive properties are but dust mites, mold, and fungus dont like it so they wont invade your sleeping area. Wools, gold, and silver went east. This inherent glow is one of the many exquisite qualities that make silk so attractive. Legend has it she dropped a cocoon into hot tea and it unraveled. Read more about the Silk … It will almost always extinguish itself when the flame is removed from it. Overview: Sericulture covers a circle of the cultivated and raised stages of silk produce under controlled conditions: moth egg - silkworm - pupae & cocoon - moth; until the cocoons reach the filature. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is said to cause a delay in a person getting wrinkles because of the essential amino acids in silk bedding. – Source. 6. By Silker The cloth from silk can be made into rugs, bedding, or can be used to write or paint on. The protein fibre of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and are produced in different colors by several insect species. A silk rope is stronger than an equally thick metal wire. It originates in Ancient China. The silkworms from the Bombyx mori moth, which produces the finest and purest silk, are fed a diet that consists only of chopped mulberry leaves. Marc Polo was the most famous Silk Road trader/explorer. It got its name because silk was one of the primary products it was used to transport. Silk was so light that carrying it from place to place was easy. 1. Here are some other fun and amazing facts about silk: A silkworm multiplies it weight 10,000 times from time it is hatched until about 1 month later when it has enough energy stored to start spinning its cocoon.