"The secret of silk revealed" by simi in Dukascopy Forex Community
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The secret of silk revealed

For more than 4000 years the magic of the silkworm was a secret closely guarded by the Chinese silk farmers, whose monopoly allowed them to charge fashion fans in Asia, Africa and Europe pretty much whatever they liked. The break of the monopoly, in 552AD, was one of the first and certainly one of the boldest feats of industrial espionage in history.

The superspies were two Persian monks. One day they turned up at the court of Justinian, Emperor of Byzantium, and announced that while visiting China on missionary work they had learnt the secrets of silk-making. In return for a huge sum of money, they agreed to return to China and bring back the means for the emperor to start a domestic silk industry. Months later they returned, with silkworm eggs smuggled in bamboo tubes, together with, a good supply of mulberry cuttings with which to feed the hatchlings.

In the West, silk remained a popular, although expensive, luxury until world War 2, when shortages led to the use of alternatives. Out went silk stockings - for years a symbol of sex, glamour and luxury - and in came nylons.

翻译为 英语 显示原始
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