The Rug Library

Asiatic 'desi' cotton (Gossypium arboreum) is valued in India for its climate resilience and tolerance of pests, disease and drought-type stresses.

Because the eri cocoon is open at one end, the moth can emerge before the silk is processed, which is why eri is often marketed as 'ahimsa' or peace silk.

Researchers have explored degumming silk with enzymes such as papain, trypsin and bromelain, which can remove sericin while causing less damage to the fibroin than sodium carbonate treatment.

Crossbreeding has left only a small population of true-type Magra sheep, and the breed has been flagged as needing conservation.

Researchers have tested curcumin extracted from Curcuma aromatica rhizomes as a natural yellow colourant for dyeing silk.

Recent studies have explored dyeing textiles with turmeric extracts using natural, plant-derived mordants in place of metal salts.

Traditional soap or alkali degumming of silk can use heavy amounts of water and energy and damage the fibroin, prompting research into gentler, greener methods.

Wool scouring yields a useful by-product: the wool grease removed from fleece is refined into lanolin for cosmetics and ointments.

Tasar silk comes from wild silkworms of the genus Antheraea reared on forest trees, and it supports forest-based livelihoods for tribal communities in states such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.