About Silk

Why Silk Has a Bad Reputation for Fragility!

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some silks were treated with strong mordanting chemical agents and acetic acids for dyeing, while other silks were weighted with chemical additives, like tin chloride, for proper draping of the textile during the finishing process. These techniques caused a lot of stress to the silk threads. Eventually, this damage resulted in embrittlement of the fibers and further breakage and destruction of the silk fabric.(1) Fortunately, modern industrial practices have changed. Nowadays, the silk fibers are no longer adulterated from the start.

Silk: A Strong material?

Good quality silk is a strong fabric when it has been properly treated from the start. That is why most of the silks of the Middle-Ages are still in decent shape. Modern silk technologists have refined a process to clean the raw silk naturally and not chemically. Conscientious artists are very choosy about their silk suppliers in order to ensure a long and durable lifespan for their paintings.

How Do You Keep A Silk Painting Clean?

When a silk is painted with the proper dyes, it can be cleaned with soap and water and ironed, or dry-cleaned. Given the fact that the silk used for silk painting is a tightly woven and smooth material that cannot gather dust, silk paintings do not need to be cleaned for at least ten years and probably longer.
The best way to keep a silk painting clean is to vacuum it, every six months or even every year. To make sure that the vacuum does not "swallow" the fabric, place a mesh — such as a tennis racket — in front of the fabric.
Do not spread any fiber sealant products on a silk. They are rarely totally safe.

¹(Information gathered from Textile Conservation Center Notes by Michael Bogle, Conservator. 1979. Merrimack Valley Textile Museum. Mass. 01845.)

Why Silk Has a Bad Reputation for Fragility! In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some silks were treated with strong mordanting chemical agents and acetic acids for dyeing, while other silks were weighted with chemical additives, like tin chloride, for proper draping of the textile during the finishing process. These techniques caused a lot of stress to the silk threads. Eventually, this damage resulted in embrittlement of the fibers and further breakage and destruction of the silk fabric.(1) Fortunately, modern industrial practices have changed. Nowadays, the silk fibers are no longer adulterated from the start. Silk: A Strong material? Good quality silk is a strong fabric when it has been properly treated from the start. That is why most of the silks of the Middle-Ages are still in decent shape. Modern silk technologists have refined a process to clean the raw silk naturally and not chemically. Conscientious artists are very choosy about their silk suppliers in order to ensure a long and durable lifespan for their paintings. How Do You Keep A Silk Painting Clean? When a silk is painted with the proper dyes, it can be cleaned with soap and water and ironed, or dry-cleaned. Given the fact that the silk used for silk painting is a tightly woven and smooth material that cannot gather dust, silk paintings do not need to be cleaned for at least ten years and probably longer. The best way to keep a silk painting clean is to vacuum it, every six months or even every year. To make sure that the vacuum does not "swallow" the fabric, place a mesh — such as a tennis racket — in front of the fabric. Do not spread any fiber sealant products on a silk. They are rarely totally safe. ¹(Information gathered from Textile Conservation Center Notes by Michael Bogle, Conservator. 1979. Merrimack Valley Textile Museum. Mass. 01845.)
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