CHINESE SILK AND EUROPEAN TRADE A BALANCE (16TH -19TH CENTURY)

Asian - and particularly Chinese - silk has long been a product that is emblematic of trade relations between Europe and Asia. This essay is looking at how the silk industry illustrates the continual interplay between Asia and Europe, between a possible "centre" and the "periphery" and the "semi-periphery". World history is behind this approach. Italian case is considered as an important player in this production (luxury textiles and reeling silk) and certainly for long time a fundamental producer inside Europe, even though had to tackle strong competition with other European countries (with France first of all) and with new comers in the last centuries. Japan and United States entered in a massive way in this market from the end of 19th century, Japan as important investor, United States as a larger international market.