Silk is an amazing luxurious material with a history that goes back to 2700 BC. Until the Silk Road introduced it to the rest of the world in 1 BC, China was the only producer and consumer of silk, and it used silk in everything from clothing to writing paper. Silk was truly a material that was reserved for those who could afford it, and wearing silk was often considered sign of wealth and affluence, especially during the Tang Dynasty.
By 300 CE production spread through the islands of Japan and in 522 CE, the Byzantines had an understanding of the technique. The Arabs started manufacturing silk about the same time and the West became slowly less dependent on the silk that was being exported out of China. Some western countries, like Italy, started exporting their own silk and made it a large part o their economy. France traded silk with Italy, but these were largely the two countries that had a great deal of trade in this luxurious material. Manufacturing processes changed a great deal during the Renaissance.
During the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the spinning wheel came to into wide usage, which ended up resulting cheaper manufacturing across the board for cotton, though silk production became more expensive. Silkworm disease epidemics took vast tolls on French silk production, while Japan began exporting a great deal of silk, the same way that China had centuries ago. China was still the largest produce of fabric in the world, though with the advent of nylon and other modern fibers, silk was no longer as rare or as highly prized as it once was.
After Europe suffered such a set back with its sericulture, Japan began to take steps to modernize their own silk industries, at which point they became the world's largest producers of silk. Italy recovered from the epidemic in a way that France never did, and European silk manufacture ceased exporting its goods to other countries. In turn, Japan started importing raw silk as Europe halted production, and in general many Eastern countries started to export more silk clothes
Japan's silk export business stopped during World War II and due to this Europe and America had to find other sources. Nylon and rayon were just two of the fabrics that replaced silk, and after the war the Japanese silk industry never caught up.
With new technology creating improvements in silk production in general, and with new and exciting fabrics coming up, Japan was still the world's leader in raw silk exports after the Second World war. By the seventies, however, product had declined and Japan stopped exporting raw silk.
China remains the world's largest producer of silk. In 1996, China produced 58,000 tons, followed in second place by India with 13,000 tons. Japan's production is very small at around 2,500 tons. In 1995 and 1997, China's silk production decreased to an astonishing 40%. The demand globally for silk in the 1990s also declined but the production was still strong in the United Kingdom and India. Silk's reputation has been tarnished due to the low quality of the fabric.
Today, 125, 000 tons of silk is still being produced around the world. The majority of the production is in China. Other countries that are producing silk are Japan, United States, Brazil, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Korea, India, and Thailand. The United States is the largest silk importer presently.
By 300 CE production spread through the islands of Japan and in 522 CE, the Byzantines had an understanding of the technique. The Arabs started manufacturing silk about the same time and the West became slowly less dependent on the silk that was being exported out of China. Some western countries, like Italy, started exporting their own silk and made it a large part o their economy. France traded silk with Italy, but these were largely the two countries that had a great deal of trade in this luxurious material. Manufacturing processes changed a great deal during the Renaissance.
During the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the spinning wheel came to into wide usage, which ended up resulting cheaper manufacturing across the board for cotton, though silk production became more expensive. Silkworm disease epidemics took vast tolls on French silk production, while Japan began exporting a great deal of silk, the same way that China had centuries ago. China was still the largest produce of fabric in the world, though with the advent of nylon and other modern fibers, silk was no longer as rare or as highly prized as it once was.
After Europe suffered such a set back with its sericulture, Japan began to take steps to modernize their own silk industries, at which point they became the world's largest producers of silk. Italy recovered from the epidemic in a way that France never did, and European silk manufacture ceased exporting its goods to other countries. In turn, Japan started importing raw silk as Europe halted production, and in general many Eastern countries started to export more silk clothes
Japan's silk export business stopped during World War II and due to this Europe and America had to find other sources. Nylon and rayon were just two of the fabrics that replaced silk, and after the war the Japanese silk industry never caught up.
With new technology creating improvements in silk production in general, and with new and exciting fabrics coming up, Japan was still the world's leader in raw silk exports after the Second World war. By the seventies, however, product had declined and Japan stopped exporting raw silk.
China remains the world's largest producer of silk. In 1996, China produced 58,000 tons, followed in second place by India with 13,000 tons. Japan's production is very small at around 2,500 tons. In 1995 and 1997, China's silk production decreased to an astonishing 40%. The demand globally for silk in the 1990s also declined but the production was still strong in the United Kingdom and India. Silk's reputation has been tarnished due to the low quality of the fabric.
Today, 125, 000 tons of silk is still being produced around the world. The majority of the production is in China. Other countries that are producing silk are Japan, United States, Brazil, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Korea, India, and Thailand. The United States is the largest silk importer presently.
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