3 130 BCE–1453 CE: How silk shaped the world As centuries passed, people around the world discovered new techniques for creating fabric and developed new clothing styles to wear it. However, the divide between rich and poor continued. People in China began making and wearing silk clothes more than 2,000 years ago. Chinese silk, in beautiful colours and patterns, became famous and fashionable in many far-off countries because of its incredible softness and shine. a 12th-century Chinese painting showing women ironing newly woven silk cloth
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