{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O453952"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O453952/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HL9313/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HL9313/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2015HL9313","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HL9314","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HL0984","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HL0985","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O453952/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O453952","accessionNumber":"IS.57 to L-1990","objectType":"Bag","titles":[{"title":"Silk samples ","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Striped silk bag with black fringes containing six labelled filatures (skeins of silk) and a corresponding letter with insert. The letter is dated 1818 and gives instructions for the purchase of raw silk in Bengal. The printed insert dated 1817 gives the current prices for silk purchase by region, quality, and buyer.\r\n\r\nFive of the six silk skeins originally had folded paper labels wrapped within them. The labels were removed and flattened in 2015 to reveal the identity of their corresponding skeins. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silk and paper","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"},{"text":"Manuscripts","id":"THES48922"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2015HL9313","2015HL9314","2015HL0984","2015HL0985"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES312136"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES394737"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES305930"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bag","id":""}],[{"text":"Letter","id":""}],[{"text":"Sample of silk yarn","id":""}],[{"text":"Sample of silk yarn","id":""}],[{"text":"Sample of silk yarn","id":""}],[{"text":"Sample of silk yarn","id":""}],[{"text":"Sample of silk yarn","id":""}],[{"text":"Sample of silk yarn","id":""}],[{"text":"Label","id":"x30599"}],[{"text":"Label","id":"x30599"}],[{"text":"Label","id":"x30599"}],[{"text":"Label","id":"x30599"}],[{"text":"Label","id":"x30599"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bengal","id":"x30825"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1817","earliest":"1812-01-01","latest":"1821-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Letter reads: \r\n\r\nWardle Esq\r\n\r\nwith N J Thompson's compts \r\nJany 1818\r\n\r\nInstructions for the purchase of Raw Silk in Bengal\r\n\r\nGreat care should be taken that none should be purchased but the first Filatures viz: \"Novis\"\r\n\r\nCommercolly / Gonatea - equally good and stand first in estimation\r\n\r\nCossimbuzar / Rangpore / Jungypore - second - do - do\r\n\r\nRadnagore - third - do -do \r\n\r\nand that they are of a good colour and quality that is soft to the feel, also of a clean, that is free from slubs, and even thread the size is not so very material but is quite requisite they should be clean and of an even thread. \r\n\r\nGood \"Skein Silks\" or as they are call'd in Bengal \"Country wound Silks\" are almost always sure of a good Sale and the same care is necessary in the selecting these as the Filature Silks namely that they are clean and even, but these should not be fine. The coarser they are the better provided they are clean and even. The best are Jannahs / Bauleah / Radnagore / Jungypore\r\n\r\nGonatea Jassah's / Commercolly EPs - must not be bought on any account as there is no sale for them in this market\r\n\r\n1 Feb 1818 \r\n\r\nYour ms obn Sert\r\n\r\nN (illegible) Ja Thompson\r\n\r\nInsert: 2nd SEPTEMBER SALE, 1817 Current Prices of SILK sold by the EAST INDIA COMPANY 19th JANUARY, 1818; -Prompt the 17th APRIL, 1818 \r\n\r\n(Chart of pricing by quality and region, both Company and Private rates)\r\n\r\n","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silk bag containing six labelled skeins of silk with a corresponding letter, Bengal, ca. 1817","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Bengal","id":"x30825"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"SILK SKEINS AND COCOONS\r\n\r\nSilk is reeled or spun from the filaments of the silkworm’s cocoon and then woven. India’s ‘wild’ silks come from the larvae of the Antheraea genus of moths, which are native to eastern and central India. Mulberry silk was introduced to India from China about 2000 years ago. Different parts of silk cocoons are used to make different textures of silk yarn.\r\n\r\nSilk skeins\r\n(Top, left to right): eri, tasar (semi-bleached ghicha), mulberry waste (fesua), muga (machine-reeled)\r\n(Bottom): muga (ghicha), tasar (jhurri), tasar (nassi), tasar (katia)\r\nAssam, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, 2014\r\nV&A: IS.16 to 23-2015\r\n\r\nSilk cocoons\r\n(left to right): Muga silkworm, eri silkworm, mulberry silkworm\r\nAssam, 2006\r\nPrivate collection\r\n\r\nMulberry silk skeins\r\nBengal, 1818\r\nV&A: IS.57-1990","date":{"text":"03/10/2015-10/01/2016","earliest":"2015-10-03","latest":"2016-01-10"}},{"text":"","date":{"text":"03/10/2015-10/01/2016","earliest":"2015-10-03","latest":"2016-01-10"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.57-1990","IS.57A-1990","IS.57B-1990","IS.57C-1990","IS.57D-1990","IS.57E-1990","IS.57F-1990","IS.57G-1990","IS.57H-1990","IS.57I-1990","IS.57J-1990","IS.57K-1990","IS.57L-1990"],"accessionNumberNum":"57","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1990,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Bag","Letter","Sample of silk yarn [1]","Sample of silk yarn [2]","Sample of silk yarn [3]","Sample of silk yarn [4]","Sample of silk yarn [5]","Sample of silk yarn [6]"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-30","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":true}}