Arts & Techniques de la Soie

‘Art and Technique of Silk’ is a book that encompasses the entire history, technique and literature, of the silk worm, and thus silk, in its use in science and textiles. In the first part, the author discusses the history of the birth of silk and its arrival in Europe and in France. The second part addresses mulberry cultivation, livestock, spinning, weaving and dying, as well as the qualities and treatments of silk and its various uses. A chapter is devoted to the international association of silk, which has its headquarters in Lyon, France. The author has researched the uses of silk in Chinese, Korean, European and French literature, a first sketch of what could be an anthology of silk. The work is accompanied by a technical glossary and there is also a study of the biology of the silkworm. The preface is written by Mr Bernard Morel-Journel, the former President of the International Silk Association. The project is partnered with the Silk Roads, UNESCO’s Routes of Dialogue.

The author, Jean-Jacques Boucher, descends from a family of merchants who have worked with silk for 5 generations. He directs the technical section of the company, ‘Silkworm', founded in 1820. He is a former student of the School of Spinning and Weaving and assessor for the committee of expertise on Customs. He is also a founding member of the National Company of Experts in Fashion, Sewing, Textiles and Clothing, silk expert and member of the international scientific team of the Silk Roads, UNESCO’s Routes of Dialogue.