A Journey into the World of Designed by Upasana, Auroville www. upasana.in Series- Know through Textiles

Published by Bestseller Fund, Denmark www.bestsellerfund.com

ISBN 978-87-993725-1-5

Printed at Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd. 17, Red Hills, Hyderabad 500 004 India 2010 To the Bestseller Foundation for inspiration and opportunity

Preface 09 The Journey 16 Making Silk 32 Silk Trade 80 Silk in India 114 Creativity Across Cultures 122 The Gift 144 The Team 153 Credits 155 Resources 156 Preface

“Watching a silkworm weave is mesmerising. One long strand, carefully strung here and there, wound round and round itself, it constructs one of the great marvels of nature – a cocoon. Soft and delicate to look at, it harbours a beautiful secret within – silk. A secret guarded for centuries, a beauty unparalleled, the touch of silk is enough for humans to lose themselves in a sensory journey.”

02 Preface 0310

“Silk has been called the ‘Queen of Textiles’ and perhaps rightly so. Finer than human hair, strong as steel, light and versatile with an inherent shimmer and a satiny feel, silk stands apart from all other fabrics. It is not made from plants like cotton and hemp; rather it is made by silkworms and harvested from their cocoons.

It’s not surprising that when silk was introduced to Europe in the first millennium, Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, wrote, “Silk was obtained by removing the down from the leaves with the help of water.” In fact, silk is a protein fibre; similar to wool or to human hair and this is what gives it most of its matchless qualities.“

Preface 12 “The enigma of silk captivates one and all and it is no wonder that this wisp of a fibre has led to wars and espionage, as well as trade on a global scale. It has inspired weavers to become artists and create the most magnificent garments. Silk today is as prized in one’s wardrobe as it was in yesteryears.

In an era thousands of years ago, it was the exclusive reserve of royalty, but today with modern production methods and a burgeoning business, silk is available to the common population.

At first, I did not understand the human obsession with a fibre that has a transient purpose for moths. I decided to find out more and unravel the relationship between humans and silk that started more than five thousand years ago. So, come with me onan adventure as I discover the captivating story of silk.”

- Inara A silk moth from

Preface 14 02 The Journey

The Story of Silk 03

The Journey 18 The Discovery of Silk Coveted, sought after, jealously guarded yet heavily traded; the invokes the mystery of a priceless treasure. For thousands of years, silk cocoons have been tended with supreme care by civilisations all around the world.

The art of unravelling silken threads carefully laid by The finding of this silken delight and the process of harnessing the silkworm to fabricate its cocoon is said to have been it ushered in a new era of Chinese history. As William Kenrick discovered in China. The actual time of this discovery is writes, “Silk and its manufacture, and the weaving continued unknown, but there is a colourful Chinese legend about it. to be the principal occupation of the succeeding Empresses; Tradition talks about the highly venerated Goddess of Silk, apartments being especially appropriated to this purpose, who is credited with discovering the art of making silk. The in the Imperial Palace; and soon, from the highest rank of young girl Empress, Hsi-Ling-Shih, first wife of the mythical females, it became the occupation of all ranks in China; and Yellow Emperor in the 27th century B.C., was sitting in her ere long, the Emperor, the learned class, the princes, the garden sipping tea under a mulberry bush. A silkworm’s mandarins and courtiers and all the rich, were attired in the cocoon fell into her tea and its threads started to unravel. Her splendid fabrics of silk. Until finally, silk became the great and curiosity piqued, the Empress decided to find out more about inexhaustible resource of the wealth of China.” this ball of silken threads.

She began observing the silkworm and its life cycle. Assisted by the women of her household, she gathered silkworms “The finding of this silken delight and the which were then sheltered, protected and abundantly process of harnessing it ushered in a new supplied with mulberry leaves. Soon, they yielded superior era of Chinese history.” quality silk, and so the first silk industry began. However, archaeological evidence dates the discovery of silk to an earlier period between 4000 B.C. and 5000 B.C., but this might have been the cultivation of on a smaller scale. Silk production in old China

The Journey 20 The Pathway of Silk The art of extracting and processing this wonder thread was bound in a cocoon of secrecy and China maintained its monopoly of silk production for three thousand years.

The secret was jealously guarded by an imperial ban stating It is likely that the art of reached Japan through that anyone who attempted to export silkworms or their Korea when waves of Chinese migrants arrived around 200 eggs would face the death penalty. But it is hard to keep B.C. such a superb treasure locked up. In time, silk processing found its way into other societies and the lore surrounding Reams of this gossamer-like fabric had been changing hands this ‘information smuggling’ is as colourful as its discovery. In and traded through countries, tribes and civilisations before 440 A.D., a Chinese princess married to the prince of Khotan, the beginning of the Christian era. It was such a widely refused to be parted from her beloved cloth when she left for transacted commodity that it gave way to its own system her new home. She smuggled out silkworm eggs by hiding of roads running from China to Europe, Africa and Asia: the them in her hairpiece, and so an exclusive art finally reached famous Silk Roads. another land. Although parts of these routes were already in use, silk Another account talks of a Japanese expedition in China was probably the first significant commodity to have been around 300 B.C. that succeeded in stealing some silkworm exported form East to West. The Silk Routes went north to eggs and four Chinese girls, who were forced to teach their Russia, west to the Middle East and Europe, southwest to captors the art of sericulture. Japanese lore has a more Egypt and Africa, south to Nepal, India and the Indus Valley mythical tale describing the introduction of silk to Japan; and east to Japan, Korea and the trading ports in the South there is a description in the ancient Nihonshoki (Chronicles China Sea. Even as late as the 1930s, the tracks across the of Japan), “When Uke Mochi No Kami (God of Food) was desert were still clear. Missionaries, Mildred Cable and found dead, a silkworm came out of his eyebrow… The Francesca French, who journeyed across Central Asia in the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu O-Mikami was taught to put the early 1900s, tracing ancient trade routes described the Silk cocoon (silkworm) in her mouth to reel a thread. This was the Road: “at the foot of the mountain lay the old travel road, beginning of sericulture.” wide and deeply marked, literally cut to bits by the sharp, Silk production in old China

The Journey 22

Francis Wood wrote, “The romantic name, Seidenstrasse or , was only coined in 1877 by the German explorer, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen...silk was transported along a series of routes across Central Asia to Europe, from China to Rome...passing through many hands before it reached its final destination.”

The Journey 24 02 Ancient Chinese text mentions a place named Huangche, which has been identified by scholars as Kanchi in South India – a silk brocade weaving and trade centre. nail-studded wheels of countless caravan carts… On this collected from cocoons that the silkworm has left after its road, myriads of travellers had journeyed for thousands of transformation. Thus, it came to be seen as a non-violent (or years, making of it a ceaselessly flowing stream of life, for it ahimsa) technique of producing this fine fabric and was seen was the great highway of Asia, which connected the Far East fit to be used in Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies. with distant European lands.” Europe was a keen customer of the wondrous, soft fabric In the midst of the trading action lay India, and she gained but they had to pay heavily for it. They were eager to share immeasurably from this luxury trade. Yashodhara Agrawal in the secrets of sericulture, and relief came around 550 A.D. quotes in her book, Silk Brocades, “Chinese silk was introduced in the unexpected form of two Persian monks who had been to India by traders (mainly from Samarkhand and Bukhara) missionaries in the Christian churches of the Far East. The and it gained immense popularity amongst the royalty and monks had observed the meticulous production methods of the aristocracy. Ancient Chinese text mentions a place named sericulture in China with great curiosity. They were able to Huangche, which has been identified by scholars as Kanchi hide some silkworm eggs in their hollow bamboo canes and in South India – a silk brocade weaving and trade centre. bring them back to Justinian, the Emperor of Byzantine. Under The expertise of Indian dyers in the art of dyeing fabrics in the instruction of the monks, the eggs were hatched, worms permanent luminous colours, also might have encouraged raised and silk harvested. At last, the secret that had been this trade via India.” On the Indian subcontinent, the art of guarded for thousands of years was revealed to the world. harvesting and weaving wild silk was valued. Wild silk is

The Journey 26 The Changing fate of Silk There has always been something about silk, the sheen, the delicacy or the beautiful lightweight translucency, that whoever possesses it is forever enamoured by its beauty.

It took 600 years for the art of sericulture to reach the rest However, silk remained treacherously loyal to the East as of Europe from the hands of the Greeks. It was fortunate for the European silk industry fell prey to a disastrous silkworm Europe that they uncovered the secret method when they did, plague during the 1850s. This gave a boost to Japanese because Chinese silk production suffered under the hands of foreign business and helped the nation open up its trade to the barbarian rebel Baichu. In Europe, through trade, conquest the West. Export of silk and silkworm eggs grew rapidly and and patronage, sericulture spread to Italy, Spain and France, provided Japan with its principal source of foreign exchange until by the 15th century, most of Europe was privy to the earnings, until World Wars I and II put a halt on silk trading, production methods of silk. Master craftsmen applied their as countries were preoccupied with the business of war and ingenuity on the silken threads and produced numerous fine its damaging aftermath. examples of artisanship during this period. The beauty of silk lies not only in how it looks and feels, but During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Europeans introduced also in its versatility. It survived in another form during World major advances in the production of silk, such as improved War II. Though the concept was far from new, during this weaving looms. Yet, the impetus for technological change lay period, silk maps came into their own. They were far superior with the Jacquard loom. According to William Kenrick, “This for escape and evasion purposes than conventional paper or loom is stated to perform all those tasks which had heretofore linen-backed maps. Silk maps are extremely durable because been exclusively confined to the most skilful hands… and it they do not disintegrate in water, are not damaged by is so decidedly superior to all other looms, for all the curious repeated folding and unfolding and they can be used silently. varieties of figure-silk weaving, that it has superseded them They are easy to conceal, sewn into the lining of a jacket or all, both throughout France and England.” hidden in the hollowed-out heel of a boot. A silk map was unlikely to be found, at least in an initial prisoner search. The Jacquard loom

The Journey 28 Several hundred thousand silk maps were produced during World War II, and it is estimated that of the 35,000 Allied troops who managed to escape from behind enemy lines, more than half used a silk map.

Post-war, the world economy suffered from the detrimental effects of the fighting, and the loss and destruction caused. The market for luxury items diminished. It took some years for silk to regain its lost charm. Japan became the world’s foremost exporter of raw silk, a position it held until the 1970s. Then China, thanks to a remarkable effort of organisation and planning, gradually recaptured her historic position as the world’s biggest producer and exporter of raw silk. Today, the other major producers are Japan, India, the USSR, the Republic of Korea and Brazil. At the turn of the second millennium, even among the proliferation of all the wonderful man-made fabrics readily available in the market, the marvel of silk holds people’s imaginations. It has notched its place in the fashion charts as a chic, elegant fabric, forever in demand by the discerning.

As fascinating as its journey has been through the annals of history, silk is one of nature’s gifts of beauty, laid in the hands of humans to shape into forms ever more beautiful. The Journey from the TheMotherland Journey 0330

Making Silk “My name is Inara and now I have big, yellow wings. I am a silk moth and I have just emerged from my snug cocoon.”

Inara in Upasana This is the story of Inara. She is a silk moth from the forest of Inara in Bihar. While following the life of the cocoon of a silkworm, we at Upasana decided to bring one cocoon with us to the studio. Initially lifeless, the cocoon broke open one day and out came this silk moth unfurling its wings. We were excited and wished that she would tell us her story and this is what she said...

Making Silk 34

“I opened my eyes wide and found that among screens and cables I lay. I flew around a curious room and saw my reflection large on a bright screen. It was then that I knew that my friends with two feet, the designers of Upasana, had brought me to their home. I found leaves of green in the abundant gardens and forests of Auroville.

But I came back and sat by their ears to tell them my story and that of my ancestors.“

Making Silk 36 The Story of Wild Silk

My siblings and I were born together, many eggs from one mother. Soon we hatched one by one and our first thought was to feed ourselves.

“As the world goes on with its busy life, Voracious little green creatures filled the trees to munch on the scrumptious leaves. In the forest, we moths have been living in a different there is plenty for all to fill a hearty appetite. We ate time and space in our forests. for days, growing from tiny hatchlings to big green caterpillars, the colour of the forest around us.

Eggs from the silk moth Newly born caterpillar A mature caterpillar Soon the time came for us to perform an incredible task - to forever transform.In order to do this, nature has gifted us with that which the whole world adores and loves, our silken filament with which we build our transitory homes. Weaving carefully with one long, silken strand, we constructed delicate nests to Soon the time came to emerge and enclose ourselves in. Soft, white cocoons hanging from branch and leaf; soon there was a forest of spread my wings wide. I had slept long these. Some may look at them and say, “Oh! But they enough and there was a new me.” look lifeless.”

Wild silk cocoon Wild silk moth

Making Silk 38

Making Silk 40 Silk cocoon in the forest Making Silk 42 “When I left my carefully spun home behind, searching hands found my nest, to take home and unwind.

For you see, tribal clans share our forests and prize our silken nests, to harvest the silk thread and weave beautiful garments for themselves.” A wild silk farmer

Making Silk 44 Hand reeling wild silk “Once immersed in a hot bath, the shed cocoon begins to unravel and deft fingers find the ends and quickly start to reel.

One strand, strong yet delicate, is entwined with others, and together they create one silk thread. My silk is the colour of copper, a rich and lustrous brown. Long threads wound together form a spool of silk, that can then be woven and stitched into many wonderful shapes.”

Making Silk 46 Silk dyeing Making Silk 48 02 “Before weaving, sometimes the silk is “My silk can be gummy, not what you would want dyed in myriad colours.“ to wear. So dyers carefully process the silk in hot water baths to make it white and fluffy...and now it’s ready to be given any desired tint and shade, for silk colours quite well. Most of these dyes are also found in the forest, red from the roots of the madder tree, a deep blue from indigo and even yellow from the pomegranate!”

Dyeing in boiling water Natural seeds used for dyeing Dyed silk yarn

Making Silk 50 Organic dyed silk yarn “What was just an ephemeral resting place for me, a little nest to change my shape, has become bands of coloured threads and now it is ready for the artists’ looms.”

Making Silk 52 Preparing the silk warp

02 Making Silk 54 Silk loom “Lustrous yarns bound together in warp and weft come together to create gossamer fabric beauties. Sometimes bound with gold and silver, our silk thread is turned into something rather grand, and woven into shimmering textile pieces called brocade. From the forest to the weavers’ huts has been quite a journey for my silken creation, turned by men and women into something quite extraordinary, ready to be appreciated by the rest of the world.”

Making Silk 56

Making Silk 58 Mulberry Silk silk cocoons Making Silk 60 The Story of Cultivated Silk

“My cousin is the . For although we live, grow and die in the forest, I have cousins that are bred in factories and lead an entirely different life from ours. Today, they can be found across the world in many factories, but once, they were wild like us and their story with humans began in China thousands of years ago. Bombyx Mori moths are bred specifically to harvest their silk but they are cared for in the most tender ways, for they are very particular about food and ambience. Grown in shelves and fed on special mulberry leaves, they are nurtured and tended to until they are ready to spin their cocoon.” Bombyx Mori

The Bombyx Mori

Eggs from the Silk Moth

Moths mating Moth and eggs “Although the mulberry silkworm is my cousin, we do not look the same.

When I was a caterpillar, I was big and plump, but she is fair and small and very sensitive to light and temperature. She generally leads a comfortable life, but she has to sacrifice herself to bring out the true beauty of her silk cocoon.”

Mulberry Silk Caterpillars Mullberry Silk Cocoons

Silk caterpillars Mulberry silk cocoons

Making Silk 62 Mulberry Plant Making Silk 64 Steaming the cocoons Making Silk 66 Silk reeling “For when the mulberry silkworms wrap themselves in their cocoons, they are taken away and frozen, so that their cocoons remain unbroken. And that is how her silken home yields one long, continuous strand, which can be used to create the most beautiful, soft and smooth silk.”

Making Silk 68 Wild silk “Silk from our cocoons is called ‘wild’ (tussar), while that from our cousins is ‘cultivated’ (mulberry).

Cultivated silk is created in larger quantities, for it is grown in factories and is famous the world over. Mulberry silk has a rich association with human history and it has helped to shape the world economy and trade. It has been the pride of Asia for centuries. That is how the story of our ancestors is intertwined with that of your forefathers, and we will still be related for generations to come.”

Cultivated silk

Making Silk 70

Making Silk 72 The Story of Non-violent Silk

“Non-violent silk is created from cocoons that we’ve abandoned in the forest. It is unique and highly valued by some.

The cocoon has served its purpose and for us, it has no further use. Once left behind to rot, it is taken and transformed creatively. Yet, the silk made thus is somewhat rough, for we had to break the cocoon open during our emergence and one long silken strand was broken into smaller ones. When the strands are reeled together, they are less smooth.” Making Silk 74 “In this fast-paced world, more and more silkworms are being reared and harvested for their cocoons in endless rows in factory- like conditions. This may raise some ethical questions about the future of silk.” Making Silk 76 “Through the production and use of non-violent silk, hope survives to consciously create a more just world.

Our aspiration to live in harmony with nature inspires our ingenuity and creativity to explore the different expressions of non-violent silk. “

Wild silk forest, Making Silk 78

Silk in India

Silk in India 82

Silk in India 84 Silk in India Silk is moored to the Indian aesthetic like no other fabric. The subcontinent is well known for its love of this fine material in all its avatars, as India is one of the biggest consumers of silk in the world.

It is surprising then that mulberry silk was only introduced Soft, diaphanous silk was used for and clothes such here in the 2nd century A.D. Archaeological evidence brings as skirts, stoles, turbans and shirts for men and women. to light the fact that wild silk was probably being cultivated Bedspreads, curtains, canopies and mattress covers were earlier in very small amounts and mostly for personal use by made from heavier silk, which is ideal as a furnishing tribal clans. Once mulberry sericulture caught on in India, material. silk became all the rage in royal courts of kings and princes. It quickly became a royal occupation to extend patronage to A thriving silk industry existed in ancient and medieval India silk workshops. Artisans all over the country were engaged in and she was known all over the world for her magnificent and producing some of the finest garments and textile pieces of breathtaking textile creations. There were many silk centres all time. Silk lent itself well to attiring Indian royalty and was in the country and these flourished around royal courts or used by the public on special occasions such as marriages and temples. In the north, cities such as Varanasi, Delhi, Lahore, ritual functions. Agra and Murshidabad, in the west, the cities of Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda and Patan and in the south, districts Various artisans from dyers to weavers took to silk quite early. of Karnataka and the famous temple town of Kancheepuram Dyers exploited their expertise to churn out fabrics of gorgeous in Tamil Nadu, are known for their silk weaving through the shades of pink, red, orange, purple and other vibrant colours. ages. A prosperous silk trade also encouraged master weavers Delicately embroidered silk fabric was much coveted in the from Central Asia to migrate to famous weaving centres such domestic and European market. Another favourite creation of as Varanasi, and Indian silk was all the more rich for it. the weavers was brocade, where silk threads are combined with silver and gold threads that are then woven in intricate patterns to create beautiful, shimmering textile pieces. Ladies at a temple The StorySilk in of India Silk 0386 During the colonial era, the silk trade took a more onerous turn as the weaving centres were heavily exploited by the British for export and their own trading economy. The upcoming struggles for India’s independence and the subsequent call for a simpler lifestyle and home industries dealt an enormous blow to silk. As did the advent of man-made fabrics such as nylon and polyester in the later post world war years.

The allure of silk, however, was far from finished, and in the past fifty years, the economy of the silk trade has picked up again, thanks to the quenchless thirst for Indian silk, both in the domestic market and among discerning silk admirers the world over. Although silk centres are not as numerous as before, there are some cities that have created their industries around this splendid fabric.

Silk weaver The StorySilk in of India Silk 0388 Silk Cities of India

Bhagalpur Another riverside town situated in eastern Bihar, Bhagalpur is historically significant when it comes to Indian silk. This silk weaving centre is more than two hundred years old. The town is famous for its which is created from the mylitta silkworm. The silk from the Tussar silkworm has a unique colour that is deep and rich. The old silk tradition of Bhagalpur may have arisen from indigenous silk weaving. The surrounding tribal clans were, and still are, weaving fabrics from the rough Tussar silk. The weaving centre has been established over the past two centuries as a major hub for export silk. More than 35,000 handloom weavers live in Bhagalpur. The total silk trade here is approximately $20 million per annum, almost equally divided between the domestic and export market. Around 100,000 people are engaged in the work of separating silk threads from cocoons and spinning the yarn to weave into cloth. Silk in India 90 Variations of wild silk Silk in India 92

Silk in India 94

Varanasi In the history of Indian silk, Varanasi will always deserve a special mention. Even today, most Indian women dream of getting married in a gorgeous, red Benarasi silk . This legendary city lies on the banks of the river Ganges and is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is renowned as a brocade-weaving centre and has enjoyed the patronage of many kings and princes over the years. Its successful weaving industry has attracted the best weavers from all over India and Central Asia, and its weaving tradition has grown immensely in quality and finesse. Today the silk weavers are mostly Muslim and they are not known by the common name for weavers, but rather as ‘Karigar’, which means artist. They are mainly situated around the Alaipura district in Varanasi and are still maintaining the heritage of the great Benarasi silk industry.

In recent years, there has been a dent in the silk trade here as buyers of silk are slowly turning to cheap imports of factory made silk and artificial fabrics. In addition, the traditional market for silk saris has declined, while that of silk scarves and stoles has grown. This is probably because fewer Indian women are wearing saris today, whereas scarves and stoles still find a place in modern fashion aesthetics.

Silk in India 96 Jacquard leaves Silk in India 98

Silk in India 100

Silk in India 102

Silk in India 104 Kancheepuram Another eminent weaving centre, Kancheepuram gives its own unique expression to silk. This famous temple town was the renowned brocade-weaving centre of South India. It was the capital of the Pallavas and later the Cholas and the Rayas of Vijayanagar. It is said that Kanchi silk weaving goes back to the first millenniumA.D. when weavers migrated from Gujarat at the invitation of the Chola king, Raja Raj I. Most South Indian temples had their own weavers, and the weaving clan of Kancheepuram flourished around its grand temple.

All the cloth produced for the temple was considered sacred. The weavers wove temple flags, materials for decorating chariots and other furnishing fabrics. Silk fabric for the deity had its own special production. The weavers also supplied silk saris to the temple dancers, the devadasis who were held in high esteem. Kancheepuram silk is heavy and intricately adorned with patterns in gold. Even today, a heavy Kancheepuram silk sari is a staple for any South Indian bride. Although methods of weaving are traditional, Kancheepuram textiles have attained their current status by always keeping pace with the changes in popular preferences and taste. Therefore, Kancheepuram is still economically significant as it produces 7.56% of the silk made in India. Silk in India 106

Silk in India 110

Silk in India 108 Karnataka Karnataka, a state in South India, has had a lively silk trade for centuries. It was a major production centre for silk yarn and still remains one today, contributing nearly 70% of the country’s total mulberry silk. It is said that the silk industry here acquired a fresh impetus in the eighteenth century from Tipu Sultan himself, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’, who set up many silkworm rearing units. Today, Mysore and Bangalore are popular silk weaving centres, producing 45.11% of the country’s total production. ‘Mysore ’ have been popular with generations of Indian women for their variety and quality. From elegant chiffons to heavy brocades, Mysore produces it all and it is highly coveted.

Industrial silk yarn reeling Silk in India 112

Silk Trade Silk Trade

The preciousness of silk is evident from the fact that although it accounts for 0.2% of the total world textile fibre production, it is a high value commodity with a multi-billion dollar trade. China and India are the largest producers of mulberry silk in the world, with China producing 80% and India 15% of the total production. India though is caught in a loop, as it is also the largest consumer of raw silk. Most of the silk produced here is consumed in the domestic market, thus leading to import levels that are much The StorySilk of Trade Silk 11603 Silk loom India will require much higher output levels of silk production to match China’s production levels. Various issues hamper this growth potential.

Outdated manufacturing technology encom- passing primitive, unscientific reeling and weav- ing techniques, inadequate knowledge of farm diseases amongst farmers and a poor supply chain management at the production level are just a few of the problems, which lead to high production costs. Beyond that, the silk farmers have to fight against climate changes such as recurring droughts.

Silk Trade 118

One solution to break this trap is the reorganisation of the silk industry in India, which is currently highly decentralised and disorganised.

The increasing requirement of ecological and non-violent silk is a promising future market and holds high potential for the Indian silk sector. Developmental aid geared towards the above mentioned directions would be able to preserve the rich textile heritage of India and improve its economic potential for future generations.

Silk Trade 120

Creativity Across Cultures Inara the moth opened her eyes for the first time in our design lab in Upasana. She looked at us quizzically at first but soon warmed up to her new environment. She spread her big, beautiful, yellow wings and left us for a couple of days. She came back and told us that she had gone to see her sisters all around the world.

She was pleasantly surprised to find silk everywhere in the human culture and this is what she told us... Creativity Across Cultures 124 India...

“I started my journey in the colourful country of India. I flew around temples, homes and the little streets of cities by the rivers. People here have found imaginative ways of wearing unstitched clothing and I found out that this is because they consider it a symbol of purity and wholeness. I saw beautiful Indian women of all ages and sizes wearing elegant saris. But silk saris had an allure like no other. With silk saris, the Indian artisans seemed to have excelled in their craftmanship.”

The Sari, a stretched fabric of existence, woven with Time and Space, as warp and weft, Hiding this mystery in her folds… CreativityThe Across Story Cultures of Silk 12603 “In the temples of South India, I came across a curious sight; a ritual ceremony where priests offer a hand woven silk sari dipped in clarified butter (ghee) into the sacrifical fire (homam) as a gift to the Gods.

India ia a brew of many religions that come together to create its special atmosphere. The priests from all religions pride themselves on wearing non-violent (ahimsa) silk in their sacred ceremonies. Hindu priests wear unstitched when cooking food for the deities as it symbolises purity. In the temples and monasteries, I saw with pride that they use silk that was made by my brother and sisters from the forest.” Creativity Across Cultures 128 02 China... “I flew on to the lofty mountain ranges of China. This is where the journey of the mulberry silk and its long- lasting association with humans originated. I saw a proliferation of colours and heard that each colour was a code in ancient Chinese attire. The five main colours of blue, turquoise, brown, orange and yellow were reserved for the nobility whereas the ordinary people could wear complementary colours. Today, there are a multitude of hues and shades being worn by everyone and silk has really caught on in modern culture. “

Creativity Across Cultures 130 Tibet...

“In snowy Tibet, I saw beautiful Thangkas hanging in peaceful monasteries. Thangkas are religious pictorial scrolls and represent an important artistic form in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Thangka painting became popular among travelling monks because they could be easily rolled and transported from monastery to monastery. I was enthralled by the vivid colours and realised that this was because of the silk which brings out a brilliant shine like no other fabric.” CreativityThe Across Story Cultures of Silk 13203 Cambodia... “Cambodian silk is mainly used domestically to make the sampot, the traditional Cambodian wrap-skirt, which dates back to the Angkor Dynasty. The traditional sampot hol comes in more than 200 patterns, combining three to five basic colours: yellow, red, black or dark brown, blue and green.

Traditional dyes come from plants and insects: red from the nest of the lac insect, yellow and green from the bark of the prohut tree, blue from indigo and black from the bark of the maklua (ebony) tree.” Creativity Across Cultures 134 02 Japan... “My wings caught on the rising winter monsoon winds and I was brought to the cherry blossom trees of Japan. I saw the Japanese wrapped in beautifully woven Kimonos – their traditional garment since time immemorial. Kimonos and Obis (the wide sash tied around the Kimono) started to be made of silk brocade and crepes after the Chinese brought them to the island nation.”

Creativity Across Cultures 136 Turkey... “Soon I flapped my wings away again and sailed across the oceans, finding my way to Europe through Turkey. I had to stop and take a look, for I saw some wearing another charming silk garment – the kaftan. I believe that this was originally a Persian dress and the most luxurious ones were made of silk, especially to be donned by the Emperor and his courtiers.” Creativity Across Cultures 138 Iran... “But, wait a minute, there was more silk around. Silk carpets! Although most Persian carpets were made of wool, the more exquisite ones were made in silk. Guarded like treasures and highly valued with increasing age, these carpets were used as tapestries on walls. A delicate and intricate decoration.” Creativity Across Cultures 140 Italy...

“The tie has had a long history in fashion. Its birth can be traced to Croatian mercenaries who invaded France during the reign of Louis XIV in the mid 17th century, wearing pieces of fabric elegantly tied at the neck. The French quickly adopted the look, but added their own variations. There followed several centuries of colourful neckwear that revolved around elaborate ways of tying the knot.

Around 1850, the tie was simplified: the fabric was narrowed, wrapped around the throat once and tied at the neck. This was the beginning of what we’ve come to know as the tie. Made of silk, which was an expensive fabric, ties were restricted to the upper classes and were associated with polite attire.The finest neckties began to be made out of superior Italian silk. Como in northern Italy is the centre for manufacturing fine silk ties.”

Italian silk ties Creativity Across Cultures 142

“Flying on the back of the winds that circle the world endlessly, my journey with silk had been full of beauty unparalleled. The devotion and ingenuity that humans put into their art was evident in the most delicate pieces of silk, carefully created through years of patience. It was time to return home.” “Gliding in from the west, I had one last stop to make in the salty dunes of Bhuj in Kutchh, Gujarat, India.”

146 “Thatched roofs with white walls, playfully decorated with mirrors and paintings, covered this quaint desert region which was far away from the bustle of noisy cities. I happened to pass over a village called Dhamadka where silk scarves were in the process of being printed. I believe that this area specialises in a print technique called Ajrakh. Curious, I flew around to see the scarves and found that the print was the same on the front and the back!

The artisans meticulously matched the corners of the print block and soon it seemed like it was an endless piece of silken beauty.

The lines and calligraphy on the scarves made from wild silk gave me an idea of how even rough silk harvested from the forest can be brought to an elegant fruition.” The Story of Silk 14803 “The silk comes from my forest in Bihar and must have been made by my brothers and sisters and I am proud to see that these will now travel around the world and carry our message of beauty and living life in harmony.” 15003

152 The Team The Team Credits Creative Director Scarf Design Uma Haimavati Kirit Dave

Text Scarf Production Ipsita Sarkar Ajay Singhania Clare Stewart Samar Firdos Aster Patel Cocoon and Threads Photography Berozgar Mahila Kalyan Sanstha Arjun Sishir Niranjan Ji Simran Sahi Munna Bhai Torkil Dantzer Vineet Kumar Special Thanks Upasana Image Bank Bestseller Fund, Denmark www.bestsellerfund.org Image Editing Central Silk Board, India Prem Kumar www.silkboard.org Directorate of Sericulture, Tamil Nadu Print Eco Tussar Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad Resources The Journey Books American Silk Grower’s Guide; or the Art of Raising the Mulberry and Silk on the System of Successive Crops in Each Season: William Kenrick The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia: Frances Wood A Treatise on the Origin, Progressive Improvement, and Present State of the Silk Manufacture: George Richardson Porter Silk Brocades: Yashodhara Agrawal Sericulture and the Origins of Japanese Industrialization: Tessa Morris-Suzuki, Technology and Culture, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Jan., 1992), pp. 101-121)

Websites www.silk-road.com/artl/silkhistory.shtml en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_silk www.insects.org/ced1/history-of-sericulture.html www.mapscarves.com/history.html www.silk.org.uk/history.html

Images Silk production in old China (Wikimedia.org ) Silk Road map (hotbuzz.bloguez.com) The Jacquard loom (mrslippery.blogspot.com) China (flickr.com/stuckincustoms)

Creativity Across Cultures Images China silk (picasa web) Thangka painting (Knud Larsen) Cambodian sampot (fotopedia.com, bophapursat.blogspot.com) Japanese kimono (kwantalen.ca) Turkish kaftan (rompedas.blogspot.com) Persian carpets (quickstep.com) Italian silk ties (travel.webshots.com) Silk Gown, Denmark (dwantextiles.com)

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