Eri silk
Encyclopedia
Eri Silk comes from the worm Samia cynthia
ricini, found in North East of India
and some parts of China
and Japan
. The name Eri is derived from the Assamese
word ‘era’, which means castor as the silkworm feeds on castor plants. One of the common names, the 'Ailanthus Silk moth', refers to the host plant. Eri silk
is also known as endi or errandi in India. The wooly white silk is often referred to as the Ahimsa silk or the fabric of peace as the process does not involve the killing of the silk worm. Moth
s leave the cocoon as soon as it is ready to be spun. The eri silk worm is the only completely domesticated silkworm other than Bombyx mori
.
, Meghalaya
, Nagaland
, Manipur
, Arunachal Pradesh
, Bihar
, Jharkhand
, Chattisgarh, Orissa
, Karnataka
, Andhra Pradesh
and some small villages in India. The heavy rainfall and humid atmosphere of the region suits the Eri culture. The spun yarns are often more "cottony" than most Bombyx silks, although some Eri yarns can be very soft and shiny. Eri is also known for its delicious and nutritious pupa
in the north-eastern part of the country enjoys unique characteristics like thermal properties, extra softness and aristocratic finish. Eri silk is reared indoor and is extracted from the wild (Vanya) silkworms. Eri is known as most eco-friendly amongst silk. It is reared throughout the year. It requires less land and produces a white, creamy white or reddish silk.
The larva
e, after hatching feed on castor leaves and are allowed to grow with periodical feeding. The worms are raised in a controlled environment and are fed on castor leaves. The worms form a cocoon around themselves by secreting a protein from the top of their head.
After the completion of 30-32 days, the silk worm crawls in search of a comfortable place among the leaves to spin the cocoons. The Eri cocoons are open-ended and the moth is allowed to emerge out of it before gathering the silk staple. Eri staple is not fine and is shorter in size. Due to this it cannot be reeled, hence it is spun i.e. like in other processes silk is not unwound from the cocoon but instead the fiber is spun into thread.
. The texture of the fabric is like coarse, fine and dense. It is very strong, durable and has elasticity
. Eri silk is darker and heavier than other silks and blends well with wools and cotton. Due to its thermal property it is warm in winters and cool in summer.
In India, Eri is mostly used for the preparation of bed sheets. The thermal property of Eri silk makes it a suitable fabric for shawls, jackets and blankets. Dress materials and baby dresses are also made from Eri silk fabric because of its soft texture and moisture absorbent quality.
Eri silk is durable and strong and has a typical texture; hence it is widely used in home furnishing like curtains, bed covers, cushion covers, wall hangings, quilt, etc. The wooly feel adds to the comfort.
Two Eri spun silk mills have been established Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh and Kokrajhar in Assam while another is planned to be built in Guhawati.
The silk products are being promoted as eco-friendly and natural, and should also provide more jobs and money for the tribal peoples that primarily practice Eri culture.
Eri silk production in India during 2007/8 was 1,530 tones. This made up 73% of the total Vanya silk Wild silk production of 2,075 tones.
Samia cynthia
The Ailanthus silkmoth is a saturniid moth, used to produce silk fabric but not as domesticated as the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The moth has very large wings of 113-125 mm, with a quarter-moon shaped spot on both the upper and lower wings, whitish and yellow stripes and brown background...
ricini, found in North East of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and some parts of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The name Eri is derived from the Assamese
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
word ‘era’, which means castor as the silkworm feeds on castor plants. One of the common names, the 'Ailanthus Silk moth', refers to the host plant. Eri silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
is also known as endi or errandi in India. The wooly white silk is often referred to as the Ahimsa silk or the fabric of peace as the process does not involve the killing of the silk worm. Moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s leave the cocoon as soon as it is ready to be spun. The eri silk worm is the only completely domesticated silkworm other than Bombyx mori
Bombyx mori
The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of the domesticated silkmoth, Bombyx mori . It is an economically important insect, being a primary producer of silk...
.
Process
Eri caterpillars eat a number of plants, including castor bean, manioc (tapioca) and kesseru. Because these are food crops, Eri silk raising is often used alongside of the food production, as a valuable side product. It is grown in AssamAssam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
, Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
, Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
, Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
, Chattisgarh, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and some small villages in India. The heavy rainfall and humid atmosphere of the region suits the Eri culture. The spun yarns are often more "cottony" than most Bombyx silks, although some Eri yarns can be very soft and shiny. Eri is also known for its delicious and nutritious pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
in the north-eastern part of the country enjoys unique characteristics like thermal properties, extra softness and aristocratic finish. Eri silk is reared indoor and is extracted from the wild (Vanya) silkworms. Eri is known as most eco-friendly amongst silk. It is reared throughout the year. It requires less land and produces a white, creamy white or reddish silk.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e, after hatching feed on castor leaves and are allowed to grow with periodical feeding. The worms are raised in a controlled environment and are fed on castor leaves. The worms form a cocoon around themselves by secreting a protein from the top of their head.
After the completion of 30-32 days, the silk worm crawls in search of a comfortable place among the leaves to spin the cocoons. The Eri cocoons are open-ended and the moth is allowed to emerge out of it before gathering the silk staple. Eri staple is not fine and is shorter in size. Due to this it cannot be reeled, hence it is spun i.e. like in other processes silk is not unwound from the cocoon but instead the fiber is spun into thread.
Qualities
Eri silk is a staple fiber unlike other silks which are continuous filamentFiber
Fiber is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread.They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissues together....
. The texture of the fabric is like coarse, fine and dense. It is very strong, durable and has elasticity
Elasticity (physics)
In physics, elasticity is the physical property of a material that returns to its original shape after the stress that made it deform or distort is removed. The relative amount of deformation is called the strain....
. Eri silk is darker and heavier than other silks and blends well with wools and cotton. Due to its thermal property it is warm in winters and cool in summer.
Uses of Eri Silk Fabric
Eri silk fabric is a boon for those who practice absolute non-violence and do not use any product obtained by killing any living creature. Eri silk is also said to be poor person’s silk as it is not so enormously priced as other silk types. It is widely used by everyone in the regions it is produced. Now it is getting popular the world over. Vegans and other monks in India prefer this silk due to non-violence.In India, Eri is mostly used for the preparation of bed sheets. The thermal property of Eri silk makes it a suitable fabric for shawls, jackets and blankets. Dress materials and baby dresses are also made from Eri silk fabric because of its soft texture and moisture absorbent quality.
Eri silk is durable and strong and has a typical texture; hence it is widely used in home furnishing like curtains, bed covers, cushion covers, wall hangings, quilt, etc. The wooly feel adds to the comfort.
Two Eri spun silk mills have been established Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh and Kokrajhar in Assam while another is planned to be built in Guhawati.
The silk products are being promoted as eco-friendly and natural, and should also provide more jobs and money for the tribal peoples that primarily practice Eri culture.
Eri silk production in India during 2007/8 was 1,530 tones. This made up 73% of the total Vanya silk Wild silk production of 2,075 tones.