The graphic illustrates the life process of the silkworm and the phases in the manufacture of silk material.
Overall, the lifecycle is a natural process and contains four cyclical phases, beginning with the laying of eggs and ending with the birth of a new moth from a cocoon. The production of silk is, in contrast to the previous stage, a man-made linear process comprising of 6 main stages.
To begin with, eggs are produced by the moth and it takes 10 days for the eggs to hatch into silkworm larvae that feed on mulberry leaves. This stage takes between 4 and 6 weeks before the worms construct a cocoon from silk thread, taking approximately one week. They stay there for around a fortnight, subsequently emerging as moths and the process can begin again.
The first stage in the manufacture of silk is the selection of cocoons and these are then boiled. Once boiled, the silk thread is unwound to a length of between 300 and 900 meters. Finally, the silk can be twisted and weaved into cloth before being dyed.