Manufactured Trade Goods

Origin and History of Silk

  The production of silk originated in China and was practiced there ever since 3 rd millennium BC. By the 1 st millennium, China was trading silk abroad to places like India , Turkistan , and Persia . Chinese were very secretive about the methods and sources of silk at first. However, as trade spread, knowledge of silk production, also known as sericulture, spread to India and Japan as well. By the 2 nd century AD, India was shipping out its own raw silk to Persia .   

  Persia eventually became the center or entrepôt of silk trade between the East and West. Their success in this specific trade peaked under the Parthian rule, from 247 BC to 224 AD. This material was the new commodity in Europe and Middle East , and silk dying and weaving became a common craft in places such as Syria , Egypt , Greece , and Rome .

  Europe still didn't have the sources and means to produce silk however. Silk actually comes from the silkworm, a bug which is native only to China . Silkworms spin cocoons just like a caterpillar. The threads that are used to make the cocoon's outer shell are taken and produced into a fabric. China guarded these priceless possessions from other empires in order to keep up trade with the west.

Silkworm Coccoons:

entomology.unl.edu/images/ silkworm/silkworm.htm

The trading of the raw material from the east continued into the mid 6 th century AD. That changed in 550 AD, when two Persian monks traveling throughout China were asked by Justinian I (Byzantine Emperor) to bring silkworms to Constantinople in the hollow of their bamboo canes. The handful of silkworms that were brought back to Turkey , reproduced, and harvested on farms. The production of silk (“sericulture”) flourished in places like France, and the Italian City-States, until the late 1800's.

www.pinetreeyarns.com/wool/

Origin and History of Porcelain

  This trade good was first made by the Chinese, hence the more colloquial term: China . Porcelain is mostly made from a certain earth-clay called kaolin. Today, Kaolin can be found and is mined in the following places:

• China
• Cornwell , England
• Limoges , France
• Kyushu (island), Japan

  When Porcelain first became a major trade item, it was imported primarily out of China and Japan along the Silk Road . The Silk Road was a road that stretched across China all the way to Persia , bringing trade good such as Oriental rugs into China , and silk and porcelain out of China . When Europeans discovered Kaolin mines in Europe and Middle East , the trade continued, although it was not nearly as profitable.

www.benowenpottery.com/process/ clays/clays.html

Trade of Cowrie Shells

  Cowrie Shells were discovered in coastal waters of Indian Ocean in the Maldives Islands . The Golden Cowrie, which is 4” in length, was traditionally worn by royalty of the natives. The yellow cowrie, which is only 1” in length, served as a type of currency in Africa. When the Portuguese came to the East, they needed these to deal with the Swahili City-States (trading ports off the east coast of Africa ). Therefore, the Portuguese bought this from India in order to use it as currency in Africa while going about their trade with the Swahili City-States.

www.island-crafts.com/ shells02

Money Cowrie (a.ka. Yellow Cowrie)     

History of Incense

      Incense was used since early ancient times during sacred rituals. In the East, it was often used to show respect and honor for kings or those of “dignity”. It was introduced to the west, and they adopted it into their religions (Christianity especially). In Catholicism, The Golden Altar of Incense is now used in the “ Holy Place ” to praise, glorify, and show thanksgiving to God. Incense is scents that are formed by mixing natural ingredients such as exotic herbs, spices, roots, flowers, minerals, and oils . Some of the main fragrances that were used during the 1500's were lavender, rose, sandalwood, and patchouli

hempyhippy.homestead.com/ Frontpage.html

Origin and History of Persian Rugs/Carpets

      Persia , or what we now call Iran , is the home of all Oriental Rugs. The idea of an oriental rug occurred sometime during the Safavid dynasty (1502-1736), when artistic culture reached a pinnacle point. During this period, arts and crafts such as court weaving, calligraphy, miniature painting, and tile work flourished as well. This spurred on the development of carpet factories in the cities of Kerman , Isfahan , Kashan, Tabriz , and Heart. Tabriz is probably considered the most well-renowned.

        Trade of Persian Rugs began in the 16th century. As trade spread to other parts of the world, more factories were built in those areas to ensure the continuance of oriental rugs. Other countries such as Turkey , China , Pakistan , and India adopted this craft and began their own style of oriental rugs. Rugs were transported along Silk Road and to distant places like China because they were considered royal carpets, and of the highest quality of rugs. Authentic Persian Rugs were obviously made in Persia , usually in small villages where craftsmen worked at a loom and made these rugs for a living. The rugs were often named after the village, weaving center, or tribe it was made in. The “story” or background of the rug lies in the back, where one can examine the “knot counts”, the way the strands are weaved together, and the quality of the thread being used.

Persian Rug

The making of an Oriental Rug is long and tedious. Quality of the rug can be judged by the precision and accuracy of the stitch or weaving.

www.iranianrugs.net/

Trade of Dyes

Dyes from the East were in high demand in Europe because Asia had such a large variety of vibrant colors. Dyes were crushed plants or spices that were native to the area and the spices were as rich in color as they were tasteful. Cotton was also dipped in dye or printed into special designs as textiles. These textiles would then be shipped to the west.

There were certain plants that were used as the color of the dye or the base, where the other plants were used as juices that helped “bond” the color to the material. Some natural bases were turmeric, marigold petals, gujerat, and indigo.

To learn in much more detail about the production of textiles and the making of dyes, click here.

    www.berenpatterson.com/ objects/08.html