Silk is one of the world’s original textiles used for clothing, banners and scarves throughout the ancient world. Along with wool and flax being produced in ancient Greece and Rome, silk was being produced by the Chinese thousands of years ago. Silk played a monumental role in world history. It opened trade routes between the Far East and the Near East. The discovery of silk is shrouded in mystery and has several different accounts. One story about the discovery of silk dates back to nearly 3000 BCE. While there are a number of tales and myths about the discovery of silk, the most common story told is that of Lady His-Ling-Shih proclaimed to be the Goddess of Silk. Lady His-Ling-Shih was the wife of the legendary Yellow Emperor. Legend has it that a silkworm fell into her cup of tea. As she retrieved the silkworm she unwound the fibers. As a result she created the loom in order to weave the silk fibers into material. Hence, sericulture was born.
For thousands of years the Chinese had ardently guarded the secrets of sericulture. The Chinese used silk as a trade commodity for thousands of years. Silk became a standard currency for China in their early economic structure. Ultimately the secret of sericulture was discovered by the western world and China lost its monopoly on the silk trade for a time.
The Chinese have been producing and wearing silk scarves since 1000 BCE. The ancient Roman soldiers wore scarves to wipe the sweat from their faces and necks. Eventually silk scarves became a fashion accessory for the men of ancient Rome. In time the tradition of wearing silk scarves became fashionable scarf for women as well. It has continued to be one of the most versatile fashion accessories for the stylish wardrobe.
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