The History of Silk, Cotton, Linen, Wool, and Other Fibrous Substances; Including Observations on Spinning, Dyeing, and Weaving.

CHAPTER V.

Chapter 5141 wordsPublic domain

SILK AND GOLDEN TEXTURES OF THE ANCIENTS.

HIGH DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE ATTAINED IN THIS MANUFACTURE.

Manufacture of golden textures in the time of Moses--Homer--Golden tunics of the Lydians--Their use by the Indians and Arabians--Extraordinary display of scarlet robes, purple, striped with silver, golden textures, &c., by Darius, king of Persia--Purple and scarlet cloths interwoven with gold--Tunics and shawls variegated with gold--Purple garments with borders of gold--Golden chlamys--Attalus, king of Pergamus, _not_ the inventor of gold thread--Bostick--Golden robe worn by Agrippina--Caligula and Heliogabalus--Sheets interwoven with gold used at the obsequies of Nero--Babylonian shawls intermixed with gold--Silk shawls interwoven with gold--Figured cloths of gold and Tyrean purple--Use of gold in the manufacture of shawls by the Greeks--4,000,000 sesterces (about $150,000) paid by the Emperor Nero for a Babylonish coverlet--Portrait of Constantius II.--Magnificence of Babylonian carpets, mantles, &c.--Median sindones 84