The Byzantine capital of Constantinople was the first significant silk-weaving center in Europe. Silk was one of the most important commodities in the Byzantine economy, used by the state both as a means of payment and of diplomacy. Raw silk was bought from China and made up into fine fabrics that commanded high prices throughout the world. Later, silkworms were smuggled into the Empire and the overland silk trade gradually became less important. After the reign of Justinian I, the manufacture and sale of silk became an imperial monopoly, only processed in imperial factories, and sold to authorized buyers.
Byzantine silks are significant for their brilliant colours, use of gold thread, and intricate designs that approach the pictorial complexity of embroidery in loom-woven fabric. Byzantium dominated silk production in Europe throughout the Early Middle Ages, until the establishment of the Italian silk-weaving industry in the 12th century and the conquest and break-up of the Byzantine Empire in the Fourth Crusade (1204).
But via the SilkRoads it was introduced to the Roman Empire, where it became an important source of revenue, to a certain extent because of the substantial needs of the ByzantineChurch for silk garments and hangings.
A global spread from Ethiopia... Much like silk, whose production was monopolized by China before Byzantine monks smuggled silkworm eggs in the 6th century, Europeans also managed to gain access to coffee plants ... Coffee originates from Ethiopia. Credit ... .
Experience a new silk route - the voyage of cultural and artistic savoir faire. The BengalByzantineBroadwayCollection creates a contemporary dialogue between legacy and perspective,” he added.Private appointments with Mr.
Experience a new silk route – the voyage of cultural and artistic savoir faire. The BengalByzantineBroadwayCollection creates a contemporary dialogue between legacy and perspective.Speaking about ...
Styled by celebrity stylists Chandini Whabi and Simran Mistry, the actress wore Byzantine blouse in shades of gold and paired it with a multi-panelled silk ghagra that boasted textured gota borders, which added a glittery element to the look ... .
... which was founded around 300 BC and was one of the largest cities in the Seleucid, Roman and Byzantine empires, as well as a key staging post on the SilkRoad trade route linking Europe to Asia.
"Some of them may have come from the Baltic Sea region, the Middle East or the ByzantineEmpire. Many of these exchanges were conducted along what's known today as the Steppe SilkRoad which, extending ...
The British Museum’s mesmerising SilkRoads does, by showing how Asia, Europe and north Africa shared their cultures more than a millennium ago ... Tied to its saddle are bolts of silk that were worth crossing worlds to sell or exchange.
The Byzantines loved color and patterns, and they made and exported very richly patterned cloth, especially Byzantine silk, which was woven and embroidered for the upper classes and resist-dyed and printed for the lower.
During the Byzantine period, the city became famous for its silks as well ... By the middle of the 12th century, the city had become the biggest producer of silks in the entire Byzantine empire, surpassing even the Byzantine capital of Constantinople.
Credit... local time ... Some of the most important sightsees are the Villehardouin castle, the Ypapanti Byzantine church, the Kalograion monastery with its silk-weaving workshop where the famed Kalamata scarves are made, and the municipal railway park ... ....
During the early Byzantine period, Thebes served as a refuge against foreign invaders and as a center of the silk trade ... producer of silk in the entire Byzantine Empire, surpassing even Constantinople.
It used to be, a few centuries back, that there were only three main fibers in use — silk, linen and wool ... Its use was expanded about 2500 years ago with the opening of the SilkRoad.
Daily Press
16 Oct 2024
Daily Press
16 Oct 2024