Gathering Mulberry Leaves, Silk Making in Europe, 16th Centu

People gathering leaves from mulberry trees planted outside; to right, a room with various shelves with silkworms on them; people arranging the leaves on the shelves to feed the silkworms. The production of silk originates in China in prehistoric times. Silk remained confined to China until the Silk Road opened at some point during the later half of the first millennium BC. The Crusades brought silk production to Western Europe, in particular to many Italian states, which saw an economic boom exporting silk to the rest of Europe. Changes in manufacturing techniques also began to take place during the Middle Ages, with devices such as the spinning wheel first appearing. Taken from Vermis serivs, The history of the silkworm and silk-spinning, engraving by Karel van Mallery, circa 1590-1600

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Cocoon Cultivate Cultivating Cultivation Eggs Mulberry Sericulture Silk-making Silkmaking Silkworm Silkworms Sixteenth

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