Silk
Silk
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HISTORY OF SILK
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The exact origin of silk production is unknown and mysterious. The most well-known and pleasing story - as documented by Confucius - is that of the fourteen-year-old Empress Leizu, in around 3000 BC. The story goes that a silk worm’s cocoon fell into her teacup. As she took it out, Empress Leizu rolled the cocoon in her fingers and noticed that it was made up of fine, long fibres. This moment of discovery of thread in the cocoon inspired her to want to weave these them together. Her husband, the ‘Yellow Emperor’, recommended that she observe the lifecycle of the silkworm in order to do so, and from this was born sericulture: the art of raising silkworms. From this point fact and myth further interweave, and Empress Leizu becomes the goddess of silk in Chinese mythology.
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WHAT MAKES SILK SPECIAL
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Silk’s composition is what makes it so special. That doesn’t sound particularly sexy, but bear with us. Silk is 97% protein: around 70 – 80% fibroin and 20 – 30% sericin. These proteins simultaneously hydrate the epidermis and prevent moisture loss. Sleeping with silk – using silk pillowcases and silk eye masks – keeps us looking younger; it reduces wrinkle formation and assists in epidermal hydration. These rejuvenating properties are particular to silk. Fibroin and sericin are also extremely high in antioxidants. These super-antioxidant properties mean that fibroin and sericin can protect our skin by inhibiting the activities of enzymes relating to signs of ageing.
The super smooth structural quality of silk also reduces hair loss: it doesn’t pull at our hair like cotton can; it holds and caresses it. Research has also shown that the proteins in silk can produce a protective film on the hair – fibroin and sericin adhere to keratin in skin and hair - which means that not only does sleeping on silk prevent hair loss, it also actually strengthens the hair while we sleep. None of this knowledge is really new. It is now explained in a contemporary, scientific way, but, having discovered silk, the ancient Chinese knew the beautifying benefits of silk millennia ago.
Silk’s protein structure makes it the most hypoallergenic of fabrics. It breathes where other fabrics don’t - silk is often called a ‘second skin’ - and has antibacterial and antifungal properties Silk bandages - used by people of Asian nations for centuries - promote much swifter epidermal healing than conventional bandages. It is also a supremely delicate yet robust material: silk has a natural high-tensile strength. For example, research is being conducted into the surgical use of screws made of silk proteins, instead of metal, to repair broken bones. These screws naturally dissolve. The application of this research could transform surgery in the future.
Back to the past. A time when silk was precious in a different way; a time when it was supremely exclusive and a fabric for the elite. For nearly a millennium, the right to wear silk was reserved for the emperor and the royal family alone. This right was slowly extended out to the nobility. The peasants – the makers of silk and the masters of sericulture - had to wait an extremely long time to gain the right to wear silk. It was not until the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) that they were granted this right. The secret of silk manufacturing was protected by Imperial decree and anyone attempting to export silkworms, or their eggs, was sentenced to death.
Silk thread’s prismatic structure - the thread’s cross-section is triangular instead of cotton round - refracts light at every different angle, making silk shimmer and shine. This is why colour dances on silk. This is what makes silk the most beautiful, the most pleasing fabric on the planet. No other material has the allure of silk. It has a story that is the stuff of myth and legend. It has an innate relationship to beauty and sensuality that no other fabric possesses. It is something we desire. And, if we want to really care for ourselves while we sleep, it might just be something we absolutely need.