Silk, the Thread that Tied the World

by Burton, Anthony

Over a thousand years ago the Chinese discovered that the slender filaments that formed the cocoon of the silk moth, could be woven into beautiful shimmering fabrics.

For centuries they were able to keep the process a secret, but eventually started to trade the valuable cloth with the west, along the silk road.

Silk was a luxury item that bestowed prestige, so it was inevitable that the wealthy wanted their silks to be as elaborate as possible, beautiful designs were produced in the Islamic world and gradually a European industry developed.

In the 19th century mechanisation of the time consuming hand weaving process, had resulted in products being produced using the Jacquard loom, which used punched cards to create a pattern.

Silk remains the most beautiful woven material in the world, moving from its origins in ancient China to help transform the whole world.

• ISBN13: 9781526780928
• Publish Date: 3 November 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
• Imprint: Pen & Sword History
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Silk, the Thread that Tied the World is a fascinating look at silk as a material and its place in human history written by historian Anthony Burton. Due out 26th Jan 2022 from Pen & Sword, it's 188 pages and will be available in hardcover and paperback formats.

I've enjoyed a very long relationship with fibrearts in general and especially the textile arts. I knit, weave, spin, crochet, quilt, sew, do kumihimo, tablet weaving, tatting, bobbin lace, and others. Silk is the queen of the fibres and elevates the quality of almost every fibre with which it's blended. Most of my encounters with silk have been up close in the form of the miles of yarn which have wound through my fingers to keep my family warm and/or clothed.

This is a more academic and historical look at silk - how it's made, how it's prepared, and the myriad ways it's used in utilitarian and decorative ways. The author writes clearly and accessibly. The timeline moves from the ancient world (Pliny had a lot of eyebrow raising things to say about silk) to the modern, making stops along the way to trace the trade routes, equipment, and technology used to farm, process, and move goods from one area of the world to others. This is not an academic treatise, and as such there are no chapter annotations. There is a very abbreviated bibliography for further reading, as well as a cross referenced index.

It's an interesting if somewhat superficial history. I also felt the lack of annotations and a more complete bibliography. The illustrations throughout the book add a lot to the read and I found them illuminating and fascinating.This would be a good public or school library book as well as possibly of interest to readers interested in the history of technology and trade or fibrearts.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.