Silk is one of China's major contributions to world civilisation, the secrets of its cultivation closely guarded for generations. The famous network of trade routes between West and East is still known as the Silk Road. The organisation and techniques of Chinese silk production, the uses of the silk produced - both bolts and made-up pieces - and the types and styles of its ornament are here considered in a highly illustrated and accessible general survey, the first of its kind to be published in English. Tracing the story of silk in China from its neolithic origins to the twentieth century, the author considers its relationship to the other decorative arts as well as the role of silk in Chinese history, trade, religion and literature. Drawing upon the most up-to-date archaeological evidence from other, less perishable media such as jades and bronzes as well as paintings, poems and other texts, this book brings together material hitherto available only in Chinese with recent acquisitions by public and private collections in the USA and Europe to illuminate the luxury of silk through the ages.