During a literature search on jade in the local library, I came across the book “Archaic Chinese Script and Ritual Jades” by Leslie Williamson, Yi Publishing, 120 West St., Bridgewater, TA6 7 EU, UK. It has been published, as a revision of an earlier edition, in 1996 with ISBN 0 9514964 7 6.

In this book the author, a member of the Society for the Study of Early China (www.lib.uchicago.edu/earlychina), makes a case for the hypothesis that archaic Jade items such as cong’s, gui’s, t’ing’, bi’s etc. are all connected with the cultivation of silkworms and the weaving of silk.

Pieces of woven silk cloth have indeed been found in Liangzhu burial sites confirming that the culture making cong’s, bi’s and similar jade implements mastered already the sericulture.

The discovery of the product silk from the silkworm species occurred round 2700 BC. It was said that Demigod Leizu, a legendary figure of prehistoric China, started the planting of mulberry trees and raise of silkworms. According to archeological discoveries, silk and silk fabrics emerged at least 5,500 years ago. In the Zhou dynasty, special administration was set up to manage sericulture and silk production. Sericulture spread through China making silk a very valued commodity much sought after by other countries. In 139 BC the world's longest trade route was opened stretching from Eastern China to the Mediterranean Sea. It was named the Silk Road after its most valuable commodity. The famous Silk Road has made great contribution to the development of the human's civilization. By 300 AD the secret of silk production had reached India and Japan.

See also ( http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/clothing/11sericu.htm) and http://www.pclaunch.com/~kayton/Silkworms/lifecycle.htm

Silk manufacture eventually reached Europe and America. During the 18th and 19th centuries Europeans produced several major advancements in silk production. By the 18th century England led Europe in silk manufacturing because of English innovations in the textile industry. These innovations included improved silk-weaving looms, power looms and roller printing. In 1870 an epidemic called Pebrine disease, caused by a small parasite, raged through the industry. Much research was carried out on silkworms during this time ultimately setting the stage for a more scientific approach to silk production. Silk production today is a combination of old and modern techniques.

World silk production has roughly doubled during the last 30 years in spite of the availability of man-made fibers. China and Japan have been the main silk producers, together manufacturing more than half of the world production each year. Chinese silk is highly prized throughout the world. Silk is used for suits, coats, trousers, jackets, shirts, ties, lingerie, hosiery, gloves, lace, curtains, linings and handbags.

According to the different weaving skills and silk fabrics, silk goods are divided to many types, such as brocade, satin and so on. Historically, most of these silk goods served as clothing material and decorations. However, the common people, who once produced excellent silk skills and goods, could not afford this expensive material because of poverty.

The author makes the conjecture the silk played such an important role in these Neolithic societies …..that copies of artifacts used in sericulture and silk weaving were made in jade. These were deposited in the graves of important persons in order to ensure that sericulture could be continued also on resurrection”

I do not want to judge the validity of this hypothesis by myself and therefore include selected portions of this book dealing with zhen gui (hu trapezoidal blade; see also Rawson, Jades p186 10:17 to 10:19) and the cong, as scanned photocopies (not optimal quality) for your own judgment hoping that some learned FOJ will comment on this matter for our education.

Woven silk cloth from the Liangzhu Qiansanyang site (≈2500 B.C)

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