Basic Introduction to Suzhou Silk
Suzhou is the birthplace of silk, with Neolithic and Paleolithic sites in the Taihu Lake area attesting to the long history of silk. Fragments of textile products from 6,000 years ago have been unearthed at Caoxiashan in Weiting Town of the Development Zone; silk fabrics from 4,700 years ago were found at Qianshan Yang in Wuxing; and a large number of spinning wheels and bone needles from 4,000 years ago, along with pottery adorned with silk and silkworm patterns, have been excavated in Meiyan, Wujiang. These discoveries indicate that Suzhou's ancient ancestors mastered sericulture and silk spinning techniques very early on.
Product Characteristics
Advantages: Lightweight, fitting, soft, smooth, breathable, rich in color, lustrous, elegant, comfortable to wear.
Disadvantages: Prone to wrinkling, clings to the body, not very durable, fades quickly, does not provide warmth.
History and Folklore
In ancient times, Suzhou belonged to the Yangzhou region of the Nine Provinces. During the time of King Yu of the Xia Dynasty, there were local tribute offerings of silk products known as “zhibei,” a type of colorful brocade. During the Spring and Autumn period, Prince Ji Zha of the State of Wu gifted gauze belts produced in Wu to the prime minister of the State of Zheng, Zi Chan. According to the “Records of the Grand Historian,” in the first year of King Jing of Zhou (519 BCE), the States of Wu and Chu engaged in a large-scale “Battle for Mulberry Fields” over territorial disputes concerning mulberry fields, demonstrating the economic importance of sericulture and mulberry cultivation at the time. The capital of the State of Wu was in Suzhou, and place names related to silk production such as Zili and Jinfanjing are still preserved today.
During the Eastern Wu period of the Three Kingdoms, silk and silk products were abundant, and Suzhou silk had become an important material for “providing for the army and enriching the country.” In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Japanese envoys requested weavers and seamstresses skilled in Wu weaving techniques to return with them, and the “Nihon Shoki” also records corresponding historical facts.
Identifying Authenticity
(I) Hand Feel and Visual Inspection Method:
1. Visual inspection method: authentic silk has a pearly luster with a soft sheen, while chemical fiber fabrics have a harsh and bright luster.
2. Silk fibers are fine and long, cotton fibers are short, and wool has a curly texture. Chemical fibers have a good degree of uniformity.
3. Hand feel method: silk feels soft and smooth against the skin.
(II) Burning Method:
1. When burned, silk has a burnt feather smell, is difficult to keep burning, and will self-extinguish. The ash is brittle, crumbly, and black.
2. Rayon (viscose fiber) burns with a smell like burning paper mixed with a chemical odor. It burns quickly. The ash is generally ashless, except for non-lustrous varieties, and occasionally contains small amounts of gray-black ash.
3. Nylon and polyester burn with a faint sweet smell, do not burn directly or burn slowly, and the ash is hard and round, forming bead-like shapes.
4. Cotton and hemp both have a burnt paper smell, and the ash is soft and black-gray.
5. Wool burns similarly to silk, but a visual inspection can easily distinguish between the two.