Materials · Material
桑蚕丝 sāngcánsī
Mulberry silk filament
Mulberry silk filament is the long protein fibre reeled from the cocoon of the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori.
Filament length distinguishes reeled silk from spun silk made from shorter waste fibres. Both may be genuine silk, but they behave differently in cloth and should not be used as a simple quality hierarchy without considering the intended object.
Visual sheen alone is not proof of fibre content. Orienda will add microscopy and labelled-object comparisons before publishing authentication claims.
Related records
Sources and further reading
- China collection, The British Museum.Collection context for Chinese silk and textile objects