Silk carpets

Silk is a noble material which since ancient times has been connected in our minds to the Far East. It was discovered, as records tell us, more than five thousand years ago by one of the Chinese empresses. Silk thread emerged in Europe in the late Romanesque period, supplied by caravans which followed the Silk Road - the commercial route running through the desert areas of Asia. Silk is obtained from cocoons of the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori) - the silkworms inhabit the cocoons during their transformation from a larvae into a butterfly. When the cocoons are formed, the farmers have to dry them quickly, before pupation. Then they soak them in warm water. Only this way the protective rubbery substances can be removed. Then individual threads are separated and turned into thicker ones (to create carpets stands of six to nine individual threads are used). The high price of this raw material is due to, among other things, the low production capacity: seven kilograms of cocoons produce only one kilogram of pure silk. It is no wonder that silk carpets are among the most sought after. The remarkable tensile durability of silk makes it best suited for the manufacture of bonded fabric, and moreover the properties of silk illuminate colors and confer brilliance of the carpets produced - allowing them to become soft, lightweight, and yet resistant to damage. The carpets are also immune to damage caused by moths and other insects. It is known that silk carpets are very expensive. Centuries ago they were manufactured in areas celebrating the splendor of the Eastern dynasties - Persian Safavids, Indian Mughals, and Turkish Ottomans. In our time Iran achieved the position of the leader in the production of silk carpets. Its famous famous manufaktories are in Qom, Isfahan and Kashan. Conversely, India is still producing carpets in Kashmir and Armistar. Everywhere, supervision over the production of valuable hand-crafted carpets is entrusted to the most experienced masters.