Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk

Silk yarn may be transformed according to three distinct processing sequences, each producing silk cloths with specific aesthetic qualities. But only silks considered as ‘luxury’ ones, woven through one process, have attracted in-depth research. Through unveiling the characteristics of the three cha...

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Main Author: Sophie Desrosiers
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Centre de Recherches Historiques 2019-04-01
Series:L'Atelier du CRH
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/acrh/10323
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author Sophie Desrosiers
author_facet Sophie Desrosiers
author_sort Sophie Desrosiers
collection DOAJ
description Silk yarn may be transformed according to three distinct processing sequences, each producing silk cloths with specific aesthetic qualities. But only silks considered as ‘luxury’ ones, woven through one process, have attracted in-depth research. Through unveiling the characteristics of the three chaînes opératoires of silk processing, and of the silks that they produce, this article aims at revealing their diversity and at providing tools to distinguish them in written, visual, and material sources. The examination of various sources tends to demonstrate the economic, social and cultural importance of the three types of silks produced in China during the Han and Tang dynasties, then in Italy when silk weaving began in the late Middle Ages. Through a specific attention to yarn twisting, it appears that during the 15th century some Florentine silk workers were acting with implements and a body language similar to those active in China since at least the beginning of the Christian Era. It shows once more that the Orient had a great influence not only on Italian silk designs and weaves, but also on the simplest implements and gestures of their makers
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spelling doaj-art-666b5e71f27840ca946737b9bda6c8d52025-08-20T02:37:47ZfraCentre de Recherches HistoriquesL'Atelier du CRH1760-79142019-04-012010.4000/acrh.10323Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori SilkSophie DesrosiersSilk yarn may be transformed according to three distinct processing sequences, each producing silk cloths with specific aesthetic qualities. But only silks considered as ‘luxury’ ones, woven through one process, have attracted in-depth research. Through unveiling the characteristics of the three chaînes opératoires of silk processing, and of the silks that they produce, this article aims at revealing their diversity and at providing tools to distinguish them in written, visual, and material sources. The examination of various sources tends to demonstrate the economic, social and cultural importance of the three types of silks produced in China during the Han and Tang dynasties, then in Italy when silk weaving began in the late Middle Ages. Through a specific attention to yarn twisting, it appears that during the 15th century some Florentine silk workers were acting with implements and a body language similar to those active in China since at least the beginning of the Christian Era. It shows once more that the Orient had a great influence not only on Italian silk designs and weaves, but also on the simplest implements and gestures of their makershttps://journals.openedition.org/acrh/10323ChinaSilkhistory of techniquesanthropology of techniqueschaînes opératoirespiece-dyed silks
spellingShingle Sophie Desrosiers
Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk
L'Atelier du CRH
China
Silk
history of techniques
anthropology of techniques
chaînes opératoires
piece-dyed silks
title Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk
title_full Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk
title_fullStr Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk
title_full_unstemmed Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk
title_short Scrutinizing Raw Material between China and Italy: the Various Processing Sequences of Bombyx mori Silk
title_sort scrutinizing raw material between china and italy the various processing sequences of bombyx mori silk
topic China
Silk
history of techniques
anthropology of techniques
chaînes opératoires
piece-dyed silks
url https://journals.openedition.org/acrh/10323
work_keys_str_mv AT sophiedesrosiers scrutinizingrawmaterialbetweenchinaanditalythevariousprocessingsequencesofbombyxmorisilk