Video: Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship of China
A look at the modern industry of silk production, or sericulture, in China.
Few insects, perhaps only the honeybee, rival the silkworm in their importance to human civilization. First tamed around 5000 years ago, the domestic silkworm is actually a species of moth, famous for the strong, flexible, and lightweight threads it produces to spin its cocoon. The larvae eat mulberry leaves exclusively until they are ready to spin their cocoon. The cocoon is boiled before the worm can emerge again; the cocoon is then used to manufacture silk, while the worm is often sold to be eaten.
The art of silk production, however, is much more complex than the life cycle of a moth. The art of sericulture was perfected in China and slowly spread to modern nations like India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Turkey, among many others. But China continued to dominate the silk trade, leading to the Silk Road that enriched the markets of Asia, Africa, and Europe through the Middle East in the Middle Ages. Modern sericulture in China enjoys several luxuries thanks to new technologies, but it also relies on many of the same techniques refined over thousands of years. Today, silk is valued not only for clothing, but also as an industrial material with uses in science and medicine.
This video, courtesy of UNESCO, takes us on a tour of present-day silk production, its history, and the people who work every day to produce one of the finest textiles ever known.
About TOTA
TOTA.world provides cultural information and sharing across the world to help you explore your Family’s Cultural History and create deep connections with the lives and cultures of your ancestors.
