Shibori Girl has been discussing the beginning of sericulture and I was reminded of a childhood visit to the Roman villa at Lullingstone in Kent and that there was some link with our own silk industry in England. Thank goodness for Google!
Lullingstone Silk Farm was established by Lady Zoe Hart Dyke, Tom Hart Dyke's paternal grandmother, in the early 1930s and was the country's first such farm. She began the enterprise at Lullingstone Castle, later moving to Ayot St. Lawrence in Hertfordshire in 1956, and was credited with reviving the 'art of sericulture' in the UK. The silk produced at Lullingstone Silk Farm was used in Queen Elizabeth's (the late Queen Mother) coronation robes in 1937, for the current Queen's wedding dress in 1947 and for the robes in her susbequent coronation in 1953.
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that was a trippy clip of the blessing of the silkworms. will have to post a link to that.
ReplyDeletesericulture has been attempted in many surprising places throughout the world. Jacquelin Field's book "American Silk" details attempts at sericulture beginning in 1830 along the east coast of America. interestingly, she will be with us on our silk study tour. i would guess that this sericulture farm was wholly underwritten by the monarchy and not a money making enterprise (?).
on the tour, we will visit one of the remaining "old school" sericulture farms in Japan. one that also has some history with Japan's Imperial family...