The Culture of Materials - Essay Example

Culture of Materials Name: Institutional affiliation: Instructor: Date: Silk is one of the oldest materials to be used by man. History indicates that silk was discovered in china and that the use of silk spread throughout the world (Elisseeff, 1999). Silk has been used in china since twenty-seventh century before Christ. Silk was sold for its weight for gold during the Roman Empire. Research indicated that Chinese tame silk worms and fed them with mulberry foliage (Whitfield, 1999). The silk worms were important in that the Chinese unwound the silkworm's cocoons to produce long strands of silk fibre. History indicates that the silk is one of the oldest materials to humanity. The discovery of silk as a weave able fiber is attributed to lady Xi Ling Shi, who was fourteen years old bride of then ruling Emperor Huang Ti, who was nicknamed the Yellow Emperor (Datta & Nanavaty, 2007). According to Confucius, the lady was sitting under a mulberry plan in 2640BC, drinking a cup of tea in which a silk cocoon fell from above spoiling the tea. Ling Shi became the first person to unravel a silk cocoon when she realized that delicate fibers start to unravel in a hot liquid. The lady used the filament to create a yarn for weaving (Kieschnick, 2002). The earliest use of silk is, therefore, traced back to the ancient times in china, and the Chinese had a worldwide monopoly on silk production for the last three millennia. Records indicate that Chinese people kept the secret of the useful material that, they were using to make clothes and other beautiful things from the rest of the globe for more than thirty centuries (Panday, 2005). The Chinese community was jealous about their discovery in that they did not want the intruders to use their material. This made the emperor demand search of all the travellers at the border crossing and those who were found trying to smuggle cocoons, eggs or silkworms out of china were suddenly executed (Elisseeff, 1999). The demand for the Chinese exotic fabric led to the development of lucrative trade route which was later named as the Silk Road. The trade on the silk was highly valued in the Chinese culture and china dominated from as early as three hundred BC during the Han Dynasty (Kieschnick, 2002). Silk was transported to westward, and they were exchanged with silver, gold, and wools to the East. The Chinese kept the secret on how silk was created for a very long period in human history. Silk was exported along the Silk Road between the china and the Roman Empire whereby china amassed much wealth (Silk, 2009). Chinese viewed the discovery of silk as a gift from God, and hence, they did not want to give out the idea to the other people. Silk in china was linked to Buddhism, and this is what made it secret for a very long period due to the belief. The Chinese wanted to keep the monopoly of the silk production forever, but it was impossible. Research indicates that silk industry spreaded to Tibet when a Chinese princess carried the mulberry tree seeds and the silkworm eggs in her headdress, when she was married to the famous king of Khotan in Tibet. The industry then spread slowly from Tibet to Persia and India. The western historians indicate that, mulberry tree cultivation spread to India through Tibet in as early as 140BC; rearing of silkworms began in the areas flanking the Brahmaputra and Gangers rivers (Richardson, 2011). The Indian scholars, on the other hand, argued that silkworms were first tamed in the foothills of Himalayas. There is evidence in ancient Sanskrit literature which reveals that some specific kinds of wild silks were cultivated in India from time immemorial (Datta & Nanavaty, 2007). The flourishing silk trade was exploited, and many silk centres were developed in many parts of India when British arrived. The company exported large quantities of silk in west Bengal to England. In 1836, the company's monopoly was abolished, and the entire trade was turned to private enterprise, the west Bengal silk industry declined due to improper organized system (Elisseeff, 1999). By the time it declined, other silk producing states in the country had developed as Jammu and Kashmir. From the time immemorial to date, silk is a way of life in India. For over than one thousand years, silk in India has become an inseparable part of tradition and culture. Majority of Indians perform their rituals, and they express their key traditions by wearing the silk clothes. Silk is, therefore, the undisputed queen of textiles over many centuries in India. Silk provides much needed work in both developed and developing nations in the world (Kieschnick, 2002). To date, sericulture is a cottage industry par distinction. Research indicates that the sericulture is the most labour intensive sectors of the Indian economy that combines both agriculture and industry. It provides for means of living to many people such as, co-operative rearer, mulberry cultivator, twister, silkworm seed producer, traders and hand spinners of silk waste (Panday, 2005). It is the only cash crop production in history that produces returns within thirty days. Silk production industry provides employment to more than five million people in India currently. India is the second biggest producer of silk globally after china, however; it accounts for only five percent of the global silk market, and this is because the bulk of silk cloth and silk thread are consumed internally. Germany is the biggest consumer of silk from India. The activity of rearing Silkworms Island based since it involves over 700,000 farm families. Many people in the world like silk clothes and hence, it still commands passion of consumer since 2200BC to date, both nationally and internationally (Nonotuck silk Company, 1902). Apart from India, many other countries in the world use silk materials to make many other things like cloves and sofa sets. The silk materials are used in decorations to mark certain cultural activities in China and Tibet in that it is one of the oldest materials. It is associated with some cultures in that the users have spread its use during cultural and when performing rituals from one generation to the next. In France, silk was also a sensitive topic for the eighteenth-century French state. Silk was a commodity in high demand, employed to make wallpapers and curtains, to weave sheets, socks, clothes and to upholster chairs and sofas. It mobilized many types of markets in that it was a luxury good that demanded several stages of production (Nonotuck silk Company, 1902). After silk business spread from India to Europe through England, the French city of Lyon became Europeans silk capital. Silk was highly valued in that it was viewed as prestigious to wear materials made of silk. It was culturally highly valued in France and hence it was associated with aristocratic palace (Whitfield, 1999). The production of silk in France affected economic, social and political behaviours of the French population. For instance, the mercantilist political economy of the French state demanded a vivid decrease of imports of silk. The French administration wanted to produce their silk domestically as early as 1740s (Richardson, 2011). They encourage people to cultivate the mulberry trees in the southern provinces to produce enough cocoons to make silk. Although the vision was successful, the quality of French silk products discouraged the Lyon traders who kept importing from Piedmont (Silk, 2009). The culture had much influence on the quality of silk materials with many cultures demanding silk from India and china. As the French community wanted to improve their quality of silk production, travellers were instructed to still the secrets from Piedmont. However, the technical process through which the piedmont's made organizing were made open secret in France under the regulations offered by the king in 1724 (Datta & Nanavaty, 2007). The law determined each phase of silk manufacture including all the technical details. Piedmonts producers worked under surveillance, and clear punishment for transgressors was well laid down to extend of banning them from silk spinning (Vainker, 2004). In the past, many cultures across the world believed that when the secret was stolen from the original owner, the intruders would use it to overturn the owners in the market (Panday, 2005). However, the idea of silk production in Italy was taken to France but there was no change in the context of the silk production. The improved production of threads was hard in spinners and the piedmont; those involved were highly supervised and well paid (Richardson, 2011). The main purpose of the high quality production was due to consumers' test that was directly influenced by the culture. In some stages, silk production was highly politicized in various parts of Europe (Hellie, 1998). In Lyon for instance, the master of workers organized demonstrations to stop new rules imposed by the ruler because they feared that the new rules would deprive them privileges they had secured several years earlier (Silk, 2009). Silk production has been a billion dollar trade since time immemorial, and it has always been inclined by political activities in various parts of the world. It also affected the social lives of people in various ways. First of all, the silk production changed the lives of the traders from poor to rich in that they made billions of profits from the silk business. It also affected the human social lives in that it led to a slave trade. Silk was in a high demand during the transatlantic trade. The merchants used all means to acquire the silk from East that was in a high demand, in Europe (Nonotuck silk Company, 1902). Some went to extend of exchanging silk with slaves when they lacked gold and silver to exchange silk during the batter trade. This affected the human culture in that the victims of the slave trade were transported living back their families at home without a father figure. The curiosity of wanting to discover the high quality of silk also led to propaganda in various parts of Europe. For instance, several propaganda reports that not everything about piedmonts workshops was known in France and that the available information was erroneous (Datta & Nanavaty, 2007). Some crucial technical information, such as the exact number of teeth on the gears of Piedmonts spinning machines, was inconsistent in many parts of Italy. Each culture wanted to prove superior offer the other to win the customers to buy their silk materials (Richardson, 2011). Secrecy was kept at peak for many years with China claiming to be the best producers of silk in the world. Research indicates that spices made from silk were very important during the classical times since they had more many uses than they do in the modern world (Richardson, 2011). They were not only used for making drugs but also served as a condiment and flavouring agents. They were also used as anaesthetics, perfumes, aphrodisiacs, aromatics as well as magical potions (Woodward, 2007). Zhang Qian of china is recognized for making long journey during classical times of the silk trade. History indicates that traders and diplomats from china, south East Asia, India and the Roman Empire travelled for very long distance in pursuit of diplomacy and trade for silk. The Chinese for instance subjugated the silk trade prior its spread to other parts of the world mainly Europe (Hellie, 1998). The silk roads served as superb highways for traders and their commodities, but some merchants took advantage of the chance they offered to travel in relative safety of long distances (Kieschnick, 2002). Missionaries and traders carried out their values, beliefs and religious convictions to overseas lands. Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism all travelled the silk roads and attracted converts far from their original cultures. In the intervening time, imperceptible travellers such as ailment pathogens also crossed the silk roads, and it really affected many people in various parts of the world (Elisseeff, 1999). The silk trade led to spread of many diseases across the world and thus affected the entire living styles. In conclusion, china is the founding nation of the silk material. China dominated the industry for more than 30 centuries after it was discovered by the lady Xi Ling. Even though, the Chinese people wanted to dominate the silk forever, it became impossible after the idea was transferred to Tibet and later own to India and Persia. The spread of silk to Europe led to the expansion of the use of silk throughout the world. Silk was exchanged with gold and silver during the long distance trade and hence was a million dollar business activity during the classical times (Vainker, 2004). To date, silk is still used to make clothes though cotton has almost replaced the silk material. References ELISSEEFF, V. (1999). The silk roads: highways of culture and commerce. Paris, UNESCO Pub. DATTA, R. K., & NANAVATY, M. (2007). Global silk industry: a complete source book. New Delhi, APH Pub. Corp. HELLIE, R. (1998). The economy and material culture of Russia: 1600-1725. Chicago [u.a.], Univ. of Chicago Press. KIESCHNICK, J. (2002). The impact of Buddhism on Chinese material culture. Princeton, Princeton University Press. NONOTUCK SILK COMPANY. (1902). Silk; its origin, culture, and manufacture; illustrated from photographs taken at the Corticelli silk mills. Florence, Mass, The Nonotuck Silk Co. PANDAY, P. N., SHARAN, S. K., & MISHRA, P. K. (2005). Silk culture: a biochemical approach. New Delhi, A.P.H. Pub. Corp. RICHARDSON, C. (2011). Shakespeare and material culture. Oxford, Oxford University Press. SILK, D. (2009). Culture of honor sustaining a supernatural environment. Shippensburg, Destiny Image Publishers. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=517489. VAINKER, S. (2004). Chinese silk: a cultural history. New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers University Press. WOODWARD, I. (2007). Understanding Material Culture. London, Sage Publications. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=366918. WHITFIELD, S. (1999). Life along the Silk Road. London, John Murray. Read More