Silk Production

'Tourists experiment with local fashion'

Today Uzbekistan still sells itself as the heart of the Silk Road. However, silk is no longer transported across the mountains and deserts of Turkestan by camel. Nor are many of the rich variations of silk in production today. However, one silk fabric which has stood the test of time is atlas silk. This colourful fabric is produced all over Central Asia and variants can be found from Turkmenistan to Uighar China. Most silk production takes place in factories, although there are still a few co-operatives that continue to produce by hand. Whilst actual manufacture of silk is largely factory run, the process of sericulture or silkworm growing, has remained largely unchanged for centuries and is still a thriving cottage industry today.

'Mulberry trees, shorn of their boughs'

'Silkworm cocoons'

Eggs from the silk moth are stored indoors over winter and then in spring, as the mulberry leaves begin to grow, the silk worm production starts. One room in a domestic house is set aside for the silk worms, which are placed on mulberry boughs resting on trestles. The tiny worms are then provided with a steady stream of mulberry boughs on which to munch on. At first they only eat the new leaf shoots, but as they rapidly grow in size they eagerly devour the tougher, older leaves. This goes on for up to six weeks as the silkworms grow, and towards the end of their cycle they require strenuous feeding up to five times a day. Finally the worms fast for a few days and then start spinning. Dry desert bushes are laid on top of the mulberry boughs, which the worms prefer as a spot to spin their cocoons.

'Silkworms - not the most obvious choice of pet'

'Sericulture today is usually a family business and the collecting of mulberry leaves is very labour intensive'

Once spun, the cocoons are sold to a factory where they are steamed, killing their contents and are then unraveled and produced into silk. A few cocoons are kept unsteamed and allowed to hatch as moths, reproduce and lay more eggs, thus continuing the cycle.
During the days of the Khanate there were no pesticides or insecticides and there were a few occasions when the entire silk industry was threatened with epidemics affecting the silk worms or mulberry trees. However, silk production never died out and today Khiva bazaar sells atlas silk and also airy silk scarves known as 'Baku Ramol'. These are also sold in souvenir shops along with fine examples of antique silk. Antique silk is usually iridescent and heavier than modern silk with rich deep gold and red colouring. It's also a lot more expensive.

Not everything sold as silk actually is silk. Fake silk tasseled tablecloths from China abound and are usually much cheaper than the real thing. To text the authenticity of your silk, take a stray wisp of the fabric and light it. If it melts like plastic then it is fake. If it burns leaving a fine ash then it is silk. However, make sure your entire silk scarf does not go up in flames!

'Once steamed the cocoons are unraveled'

'Antique silk scarves'

'A translucent silk scarf'

Guidebook Links
	The Silk Road
	Clothes