Silk is the most prized production of the Byzantine Empire. It was Justinian who introduced the cultivation of silkworms, brought from Asia, into the empire. These fabrics were initially manufactured in imperial workshops. They were concentrated in Constantinople, within the imperial palaces. We find the weavers at the Great Palace, the purple dyers at the palace of Zeuxippe. From the 8th century onwards, brocade manufacturers are found at the palace of Eleuther. This concentration was intended to prevent the secrets of production from being revealed. Part of the production, especially purple-colored, was reserved for imperial use. For production and trade, purple silk (as well as other colors, for gifts from the emperor to his dignitaries or foreign princes) were prohibited products.
The monopoly on the industry raises the question of labor. In Justinian’s time, it was solely slaves under severe constraint; their conditions improved under Heraclius in the 7th century, and Leo VI freed imperial slaves at the end of the 9th century. It is therefore probable that in the 10th and 11th centuries, imperial workshops employed wage laborers, which raises the question of secrecy. Women handled the initial stages of production (spinning and weaving). Tailors, purple dyers, and brocade makers were men. These artisans were true artists, as evidenced by the fabrics that have come down to us. They demonstrated great inventiveness in terms of colors.
By the 10th century, the imperial monopoly had also relaxed. A novella by Leo VI authorized the sale of small pieces of purple, and the Book of the Eparch, from 912, regulated private silk fabric production. But large-sized and high-priced garments remained prohibited for sale at least until the 12th century. The capture of Constantinople in 1204 triggers a significant decline of the industry.
Discover the subsisting masterpieces of Byzantine silk craftsmanship.
The Gunther’s Shroud: A Masterpiece of 10th-Century Byzantine Silk Tapestry
The Gunther’s shroud (Guntertuch in German) is a Byzantine silk tapestry representing the triumphal return of a Byzantine Emperor from a victorious campaign. Bishop Gunther von Bamberg either purchased it or received it as a gift in Constantinople, leading to the shrould landing in german lands. Gunther von Bamberg: A vivid 11th-century character Gunther was…
The so-called Dalmatic of Charlemagne in the Vatican
Held in the Treasury Museum of the Vatican Basilica, the so-called Dalmatic of Charlemagne is a cloth originating from the Byzantine Empire. It is neitheir originally a dalmatic and was also never worn by Charlemagne. It is actually a more recent work, that some scholars date from the 11th Century, and others from the 14th….
Byzantine silk fabric fragment with pomegranate trees in Halberstadt
Discover the 10th century silk fabric fragment held in the Cathedral Treasure of Halberstadt in Germany, featuring pomegranate trees, eagles, and snakes.