Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Maison des Canuts
Yesterday we went to Maison des Canuts to learn about the silk industry and looms. The tour guide was great, and explained all about the process of hatching and raising silk worms. I never realized that a strand of silk is obtained by unraveling an entire cocoon! Also, our tour guide showed us how a loom works. She was quite young, and I was surprised. It's great that they're teaching people how to use the looms so that the knowledge is never lost. She showed us how much work it took to weave silk, and even let us touch fabric that was worth $18000!
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I also did not realize that only one strand of silk is used to create the cocoon. I suppose it makes sense, given that the process of creating the cocoon is continuous, so creating a single strand is probably most energy efficient. Another thing about the silk worms that I thought was really interesting is that they cannot survive anymore in their original wild habitats. I also agree that it is important to continue teaching a few individuals how to use the looms, not necessarily to create exquisite fabrics but to preserve an influential time in history.
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