<\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAlthough the Chinese exported great volumes of silk, they closely guarded the secret of its cultivation for centuries. Therefore there sprung a great variety of ideas and imaginations of how the wonderous fabric was made. A notable exception to this is found in the writings of Pliny the Elder as he describes in his Natural History<\/em>, the spider-like weaving of the silk moths. It is unknown how he came to understand this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSilk Spread Out Of China<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Despite the Empire's best efforts (defending their monopoly under punishment of death to anyone attempting to export silkworms or their eggs), the ways of silk cultivation did in fact spread. First to Korea, and Japan, then later to India (where it remains an important cultural and industrial product). Following the opening of the Silk Road, it was only a matter of time before an enterprising merchant found a way to smuggle the precious insects further west.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThis moment came under the rule of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 552 AD. He sent two monks east to smuggle silkworm eggs back to the capital. According to the story, the monks hid the eggs in rods of bamboo, or a cane, depending on whose source you read. The Church was then able to find some of the first sericulture in the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAround the same time, the Arabs, who'd also obtained the ways of sericulture, conquered their way across the Middle East. They spread their knowledge of silk farming and weaving, serving as another focal point of the development of silk in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite losing its monopoly, China maintained itself as a major silk supplier, continuing to dominate the silk market via the legendary Silk Road. In fact, the spread of sericulture seemed to do little to diminish demand. As we will see in later eras, the West's demand for Eastern silks never ceased, and as prices did fall and availability increased, the volumes simply grew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt wasn't until the crusades that the techniques of silk production began to spread across Western Europe. With the sack of Constantinople in 1204, many of the leading Byzantine artisans left, mainly concentrating in Italy and southern France, where they would go on to supply domestic silk in the Medieval world.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nContinued <\/h2>\n\n\n\n In the next part, we will look at the interesting development of silk in the medieval world, where it came to dominate fashion, and yet also become more accessible and cheaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out some other histories, and let me know what you thought in the comments below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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