#phuti karpas

[obeyfeline]

Fascinating article on attempts to revive an extinct variety of very fine Bangladeshi cotton, although I strongly suspect the author confuses yarn number with thread count.

[nanshe-of-nina]

YouTube GIFs || Crows’ Eye Productions: Getting Dressed in the 18th Century — Chemise Gown

It was made from a costly, delicate Dhaka muslin; a textile made from a rare cotton grown only on the banks of the Meghna River in India. The muslin industry was thousands of years old and involved an extremely skilled sixteen step process with specialisations being passed down through families, and entire villages involved in its production. The thread count was up to an extraordinary 1,200, but it was as light as air and as soft as the wind. The fabulously gauzy fabric was substantially more valuable than silk.

... Dhaka muslin was considered one of the treasures of the age, but it cannot be found today except in museums. Exploitation by the British East India Company meant that, by the early 20th century, the techniques for making Dhaka muslin had been forgotten, and the plant, Phuti karpas, was extinct.

[principleofplenitude]

In late 18th-Century Europe, a new fashion led to an international scandal. In fact, an entire social class was accused of appearing in public naked. The culprit was Dhaka muslin, a precious fabric imported from the city of the same name in what is now Bangladesh, then in Bengal. It was not like the muslin of today. Made via an elaborate, 16-step process with a rare cotton that only grew along the banks of the holy Meghna river, the cloth was considered one of the great treasures of the age. It had a truly global patronage, stretching back thousands of years – deemed worthy of clothing statues of goddesses in ancient Greece, countless emperors from distant lands, and generations of local Mughal royalty. By the early 20th Century, Dhaka muslin had disappeared from every corner of the globe, with the only surviving examples stashed safely in valuable private collections and museums. The convoluted technique for making it was forgotten, and the only type of cotton that could be used, Gossypium arboreum var. neglecta – locally known as Phuti karpas – abruptly went extinct.

“The ancient fabric that no one knows how to make” from BBC Future

[sparklytastemakerwitch]

The ancient fabric that no one knows how to make

In late 18th-Century Europe, a new fashion led to an international scandal. In fact, an entire social class was accused of appearing in public naked.

The culprit was Dhaka muslin, a precious fabric imported from the city of the same name in what is now Bangladesh, then in Bengal. It was not like the muslin of today. Made via an elaborate, 16-step process with a rare cotton that only grew along the banks of the holy Meghna river, the cloth was considered one of the great treasures of the age. It had a truly global patronage, stretching back thousands of years – deemed worthy of clothing statues of goddesses in ancient Greece, countless emperors from distant lands, and generations of local Mughal royalty.

There were many different types, but the finest were honoured with evocative names conjured up by imperial poets, such as "baft-hawa", literally "woven air". These high-end muslins were said to be as light and soft as the wind. According to one traveller, they were so fluid you could pull a bolt – a length of 300ft, or 91m – through the centre of a ring. Another wrote that you could fit a piece of 60ft, or 18m, into a pocket snuff box.

Dhaka muslin was also more than a little transparent.

While traditionally, these premium fabrics were used to make saris and jamas – tunic-like garments worn by men – in the UK they transformed the style of the aristocracy, extinguishing the highly structured dresses of the Georgian era. Five-foot horizontal waistlines that could barely fit through doorways were out, and delicate, straight-up-and-down "chemise gowns" were in. Not only were these endowed with a racy gauzy quality, they were in the style of what was previously considered underwear.

In one popular satirical print by Isaac Cruikshank, a clique of women appear together in long, brightly coloured muslin dresses, through which you can clearly see their bottoms, nipples and pubic hair. Underneath reads the description, "Parisian Ladies in their Winter Dress for 1800".

Meanwhile in an equally misogynistic comedic excerpt from an English women's monthly magazine, a tailor helps a female client to achieve the latest fashion. "Madame, ’tis done in a moment," he assures her, then instructs her to remove her petticoat, then her pockets, then her corset and finally her sleeves… "‘Tis an easy matter, you see," he explains. "To be dressed in the fashion, you have only to undress."

Still, Dhaka muslin was a hit – with those who could afford it. It was the most expensive fabric of the era, with a retinue of dedicated fans that included the French queen Marie Antoinette, the French empress Joséphine Bonaparte and Jane Austen. But as quickly as this wonder-cloth struck Enlightenment Europe, it vanished.

By the early 20th Century, Dhaka muslin had disappeared from every corner of the globe, with the only surviving examples stashed safely in valuable private collections and museums. The convoluted technique for making it was forgotten, and the only type of cotton that could be used, Gossypium arboreum var. neglecta – locally known as Phuti karpas – abruptly went extinct. How did this happen? And could it be reversed?

A fickle fibre

Dhaka muslin began with plants grown along the banks of the Meghna river, one of three which form the immense Ganges Delta – the largest in the world. Every spring, their maple-like leaves pushed up through the grey, silty soil, and made their journey towards straggly adulthood. Once fully grown, they produced a single daffodil-yellow flower twice a year, which gave way to a snowy floret of cotton fibres.

These were no ordinary fibres. Unlike the long, slender strands produced by its Central American cousin Gossypium hirsutum, which makes up 90% of the world’s cotton today, Phuti karpas produced threads that are stumpy and easily frayed. This might sound like a flaw, but it depends what you’re planning to do with them.

Indeed, the short fibres of the vanished shrub were useless for making cheap cotton cloth using industrial machinery. They were fickle to work with, and they’d snap easily if you tried to twist them into yarn this way. Instead, the local people tamed the rogue threads with a series of ingenious techniques developed over millennia.

What is flannel fabric?

Essentially, flannel fabric simply refers to any cotton, wool, or synthetic fabric that fulfills a few basic criteria:

Softness: Fabric must be incredibly soft to be considered flannel.

Texture: Flannel has either a brushed or unbrushed texture, and both textures are equally iconic.

Material: While many materials can be used to make flannel, not all materials are suitable for this fabric. Silk, for instance, is too fine to be made into flannel, which is supposed to be both soft and insulative.

Flannel in history

It’s believed that the word“flannel” emerged in Wales, but we know for a fact that the term was in common usage in France in the form “flannelle” as early as the 17th century. While flannel was periodically popular among the French and other European peoples throughout the Enlightenment era, interest has waned elsewhere while Welsh flannel use has only increased.

Flannel today

These days, types of flannel are often known by their association with certain Welsh towns or regions. Llanidloes flannel is very different from Newtown flannel, for instance, and Welsh flannel varieties vary significantly from all other European flannel types.

Blanket

Sheet, usually of heavy woolen, or partly woolen, cloth, for use as a shawl, bed covering, or horse covering. The blanketmaking of primitive people is one of the finest remaining examples of early domestic artwork. The blankets of Mysore, India, were famous for their fine, soft texture. The loom of the Native American, though simple in construction, can produce blanket so closely woven as to be waterproof. The Navaho, Zu?i, Hopi, and other Southwestern Native Americans are noted for their distinctive, firmly woven blankets. The Navahos produced beautifully designed blankets characterized by geometrical designs woven with yarns colored with vegetable dyes. During the mid-19th cent. the Navahos began to use yarns imported from Europe, because of their brighter colors. The ceremonial Chilcat blanket of the Tlingit of the Northwest, generally woven with a warp of cedar bark and wool and a weft of goats' hair, was curved and fringed at the lower end. In the 20th cent., the electric blanket, with electric wiring between layers of fabric, gained wide popularity.

How to Properly Use a Bath Mat

Whether you’ve just remodeled your bathroom or you’re looking to spruce up your existing space for the season, accessories like a handsome bath mat, perfectly patterned shower curtains, or the plushest of bath towels will take the room from everyday necessity to serene spa destination. While just as important as the others, the lowly bath mat can get overlooked. But don’t make the mistake of opting for the first white terrycloth style you see. The right bath rug won’t just help you avoid the unpleasant shock of stepping onto bare tile after a shower. It will give your floor—and the whole room—an extra hit of much-needed personality. Here, we’ve gathered bath mats that are soft, absorbent, and beautifully designed. Think geometric prints, cheery stripes, even a cheeky banana-shaped option—plus many more.

First off, everyone had some great suggestions as to why we use bath mats at all. They soak up water, yes, but they also keep us from slipping and smashing our heads through the toilet, and act as a temperature buffer for our toesies between the hot shower and the ice cold floor. Gee, bath mats are pretty swell!

When it came to usage, the general consensus was that this is the wrong way to do it:

Finish shower

Step out onto mat

Grab towel

Then dry off

It leaves the bath mat soggy and wet for whoever showers after you. It also makes you much colder during the drying process.

Most people seemed to agree that this is the right way to do it, though:

Finish shower

Grab towel from inside the shower

Dry off inside the shower

Then step out onto the mat

But you all suggested a few excellent additions, like keeping your towel within arm’s reach of the shower so you don’t have to get cold to grab it, squeegeeing your hair and body to remove excess water before you dry with a towel, keeping the curtain or shower door closed while you dry off to stay warm, drying off from the top down (hair first), and hanging up the mat over the edge of the tub or shower when you’re done so it can dry without looking like a random wet towel on your floor.

What is the Difference Between Fleece and Flannel?

As you already know, the main difference between fleece and flannel is what they are made of. Fleece has synthetic fibers, and flannel features loose cotton threads. But because of their different fibers, these fabrics and finished products have several unique characteristics.

Take a look at this in-depth comparison of key features such as warmth, softness, and sustainability for each type of fabric.

Warmth

Most of the time, fleece has a thicker nap and also provides more warmth than flannel. Now, flannel is quite a cozy and warm fabric in its own right! But in comparison, fleece usually wins the warmth contest.

The exception to this rule is that some high-quality types of flannel contain wool fibers, and these types of flannel provide intense warmth!

What makes fleece so warm? Its many tiny, raised polyester fibers trap heat and hold them in the loose, velvety surface of its pile. If you have ever stuck your hand into your dog’s fur in the middle of winter, you know how all those tiny hairs hold immense warmth against your pet’s skin! Fleece fibers work the same way when you wear them against your skin.

Softness

Fleece is often softer than flannel, but if you have sensitive skin, you may find that its synthetic fibers also have a slightly plasticky feel. Of course, you will find exceptions to this rule, especially in flannel made with silk fibers. This will probably feel much softer than even the softest fleece!

Because both types of material go through a napping process, they both feature an incredibly soft texture on at least one side of the material. Fleece usually has a thicker, deeper pile, while flannel has a faint fuzziness on top of its woven surface.

If you rest your hand on top of the fleece, you feel as if your fingers can sink into the thick surface, at least a little. When you rest your hand on a piece of flannel, you typically feel a cozy fuzziness.

Blankets

Both fleece and flannel make excellent blankets and throws! You can find soft, pretty fleece and flannel blanket in pretty much any color or design you want.

That said, you should probably go with flannel for a baby blanket, as synthetic materials can sometimes cause allergic reactions.

If you plan to sew a blanket, though, you will want to use fleece. Flannel unravels super fast due to its loose weave, making it challenging to cut and sew. Fleece does not unravel when cut because it has a knitted construction with threads looped over each other.

[glimmerbulb]

*anything higher than that is impossible on industrial looms

Dhaka muslin had 800 to 1200 thread count, but the technology and understanding of how to make it was destroyed by the East India Company, and the special varietal of cotton (phuti karpas cotton) was lost.

Buuuut there's a very cool project to resurrect the plant from the ancestral strain and start making the cloth again!

Sorry, bit of a digression from your post but if you haven't heard of this yet, be one of today's lucky ten thousand!

thread count is a lie perpetrated by Big Bedsheets. what really matters is the material.

[designernadia]

"Dakai Muslin"

The finished cloth woven on looms which have barely altered over the centuries, was sought after by royalty and traded globally across countries of the Middle East and Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, earning enormous revenue for those involved in its trade. Tragically, the industry was deliberately and cruelly erased by past colonial rulers, especially the East India Company and replaced with their machine-made fabrics in the 19th century.

Dhaka muslin, a precious fabric imported from the city of the same name in what is now Bangladesh, then in Bengal. It was not like the muslin of today. Made via an elaborate, 16-step process with a rare cotton that only grew along the banks of the holy Meghna river, the cloth was considered one of the great treasures of the age.

There were many different types, but the finest were honoured with evocative names conjured up by imperial poets, such as "baft-hawa", literally "woven air". These high-end muslins were said to be as light and soft as the wind. they were so fluid you could pull a bolt – a length of 300ft, or 91m – through the centre of a ring.

The process of manufacturing muslin was complex and lengthy. The process maintained clearly defined, customary roles among those involved so that while the spinning of the yarn was done by women the men were responsible for the weaving. Interestingly, this is often the case to this day.

Once the cotton had been harvested, groups and communities of skilled craftspeople would convert the raw material into the desired cloth through a painstaking process that verged on a ritual. Developed through trial and experience, the steps were performed in skilled groups handing over their product to the next in an informal choreography of craftsmanship. Historians and researchers have also noted that the finest thread was spun by women who were from 18 to 30 years old.

The spinning could only be done in the early morning or late afternoon since during these periods the more humid air would allow the cotton filaments to stretch. On occasion, water bowls would be placed in the rooms dedicated to spinning to increase the humidity.

It was largely a time-consuming and labour-intensive work that demanded enormous patience and skill. Months would pass as the form of jamdani’s motifs were created directly on the cloth using the discontinuous weft technique. Over time another masterpiece would roll off the loom, ready for royal use.

Today the team have plants growing continuously, though they were forced to abandon the old farm plot due to flooding issues. Now they’re growing the resurrected phuti karpas on a nearby riverbank but also export muslin sari all over the world.

As it happens, so does the Bangladeshi government, who have given the project their backing. "It’s a matter of national prestige, we are also keen to upgrade the country’s image. "It’s important that our identity is not poor, with a lot of garment industries, but also the source of the finest textile that ever existed,"

Reference: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210316-the-legendary-fabric-that-no-one-knows-how-to-make

[at-home-sewing]

Vải Muslin là gì? Nguồn gốc, phân loại, ứng dụng trong cuộc sống

Một trong những loại vải cotton dệt trơn đang được yêu thích và được ứng dụng rộng rãi trong cuộc sống hiện nay đó chính là vải Muslin. Vải Muslin có trọng lượng nhẹ, được làm 100% từ sợi bông cotton nên mềm mại và thấm hút tốt. Đặc biệt vải còn an toàn và không gây kích ứng cho da. Mời các bạn cùng khám phá kỹ hơn về loại vải này trong nội dung bài viết sau đây của chúng tôi nhé.

1.Vải Muslin là gì?

Vải Muslin được dệt 100% từ sợi bông cotton

Muslin (Mousseline) là loại vải dệt trơn với thành phần nguyên liệu dệt chính từ 100% sợi bông cotton. Ở Việt Nam, vải Muslin còn được gọi với nhiều cái tên khác như là vải xô hay vải màn.

Do được dệt từ những sợi bông tốt nhất cùng với nhiều lớp mềm nên vải Muslin có đặc tính rất mềm, nhẹ và thoáng khí.

Vải Muslin mặc dù có độ mỏng gần như có thể nhìn xuyên thấu cùng trọng lượng nhẹ nhưng cầm trên tay vải rất dày dặn và có độ nhún, tạo nên được những nếp gấp đặc trưng của vải.

2.Nguồn gốc vải Muslin

Vải Muslin được biết đến với tên là Mulmul hoặc Malmal

Vải Muslin sớm nhất được biết đến với tên là Mulmul hoặc Malmal. Đây là một loại vải được dệt hoàn toàn từ sợi bông bằng phương pháp thủ công.

Sợi bông để dệt vải Muslin được trồng nhiều dọc theo bờ sông của Brahmaputra. Sau đó, những người thợ tại địa phương Phuti Karpas đã lựa chọn kỹ lưỡng và tỉ mỉ những sợi bông tốt nhất để dệt lên tấm vải Muslin.

Vải Muslin được biết đến lần đầu tiên là tại vùng phía đông Ấn Độ cổ đại. Tại đây vải Muslin được xem như một huyền thoại.

Năm 1298 CN, vải Muslin đã được Marco Polo mô tả trong cuốn sách “Những chuyến du hành” của mình. Dần dần vải Muslin trở nên phổ biến khắp Châu Á đến Châu  u với tốc độ nhanh như gió.

Đến thế kỷ XVIII, loại vải này đã phổ biến trên toàn thế giới.

3.Ưu, nhược điểm vải Muslin.

Vải Muslin có những ưu, nhược điểm chính sau:

3.1. Ưu điểm

Vải Muslin là loại vải được dệt từ bông tự nhiên nên rất an toàn

Vải Muslin nhanh chóng được ưa chuộng trên toàn thế giới bởi các ưu điểm sau:

Vải được dệt từ bông tự nhiên nên rất lành tính và an toàn với da nhạy cảm.

Chất liệu vải mềm, xốp, trọng lượng lại cực nhẹ nên rất được các bà mẹ tin dùng làm vải xô cho trẻ sơ sinh và trẻ nhỏ.

Vải mỏng nên tạo được độ thoáng khí, vô cùng mát mẻ vào mùa hè và tạo được cảm giác ấm áp vào mùa thu đông.

Vải cực kỳ bền, các sợi cotton dệt chặt với nhau nên dày dặn và có độ nhún nhất định.

Dễ dàng giặt sạch bằng tay và máy.

Vải có độ thấm hút cao, bề mặt áp dụng kiểu dệt thoi nên thông thoáng và rất nhanh khô.

3.2. Nhược điểm

Khi xét đến nhược điểm của vải muslin chúng ta sẽ nhận thấy:

So với những loại vải thông thường khác thì loại vải này có bề mặt thô và rất dễ bị nhàu

Khi phơi dưới nhiệt độ cao hay khi ủi thì vải Muslin dễ bị co.

4. Các loại vải xô muslin thông dụng

Vải muslin không chỉ được dệt từ sợi cotton mà còn được pha thêm các loại sợi tự nhiên khác để tạo nên những loại vải muslin đặc trưng.

Trong đó, có 3 loại vải muslin thông dụng nhất là: len muslin, bông muslin và tơ lụa muslin. Điểm đặc trưng và chung nhất của mọi loại vải muslin là không sử dụng sợi nhân tạo.

4.1 Vải len muslin

Vải len muslin được pha từ sợi cotton và sợi len

Vải len muslin được tạo ra từ sợi cotton pha với sợi len nên có cấu trúc vải cực kỳ mềm. Một trong những đặc trưng của của vải len muslin là bền và có khả năng giữ ấm tốt.

Tuy kết cấu của vải len muslin dày hơn sợi muslin thô nhưng về cơ bản chúng vẫn có trọng lượng nhẹ.

Loại vải này được ứng dụng để may các trang phục mùa đông như: áo, khăn choàng và mũ.

Giá thành của vải len muslin vừa phải nên được sử dụng rất phổ biến ở mọi nơi.

4.2 Vải bông Muslin

Vải bông Muslin là một loại vải được ứng dụng phổ biến trong cuộc sống hiện nay. Đặc trưng của vải bông muslin là mỏng, độ bền cao, mềm, khả năng thấm hút tốt.

Nhờ sử hữu nhiều ưu điểm vượt trội nên hiện nay loại vải này được ưu tiên sử dụng để may quần áo trẻ em, đồ lót dành cho phụ nữ, đồ bảo hộ lao động, rèm cửa, drap trải giường,...    

4.3 Tơ lụa Muslin

Vải tơ lụa Muslin sở hữu toàn bộ những đặc tính của vải tơ lụa cao cấp như: mềm mịn, có độ bóng tự nhiên và có trọng lượng nhẹ.

Khi sờ lên bề mặt vải sẽ cảm thấy rất mát tay. So với vải tơ lụa thì vải tơ lụa Muslin sẽ có giá thành thấp hơn nên rất được ưa chuộng.

Hiện nay, loại vải này thường được dùng để may những loại trang phục thanh lịch như đầm dạ hội, áo sơ mi cao cấp, chân váy,...

5. Phân biệt vải Muslin đúng cách

2 cách phân loại vải muslin phổ biến là: phân loại theo màu sắc và theo thành phần sản xuất.

5.1 Dựa vào màu sắc

Chúng ta có thể phân vải muslin theo màu sắc

Dựa vào màu sắc chúng ta sẽ phân vải muslin thành 3 loại:

Vải muslin trắng: Vải Muslin trắng là loại vải sau khi dệt hoàn thiện sẽ được tẩy qua chất NaOH. Điều này sẽ giúp vải có màu trắng bắt mắt hơn. Tuy vậy, vẫn đảm bảo được độ an toàn với da khi sử dụng. Loại vải này thường được dùng để làm khăn lau cho trẻ em.

Vải muslin màu: Vải Muslin màu loại vải được nhuộm màu bắt mắt. Chúng thường được dùng để may đồ bảo hộ lao động, quần áo trẻ em và thời trang nữ.

Vải muslin in hoa: Đây là loại vải in họa tiết bắt mắt. Loại vải này thường được dùng để may quần áo và đồ dùng trẻ em như yếm, khăn,...

5.2 Dựa vào chất lượng vải

Căn cứ theo thành phần tạo nên vải muslin, chúng ta sẽ có 2 loại vải sau:

Vải muslin 100% sợi bông: Đây là loại vải được sản xuất từ 100% sợi cotton tự nhiên. Do vậy, chúng đảm bảo được độ mềm, mỏng và khả năng thấm hút tối ưu.

Vải muslin pha: Đúng như tên gọi, vải muslin pha được sản xuất từ sợi cotton pha với các sợi tự nhiên khác như len, tơ tằm, bông,... để tạo nên vải muslin đặc trưng.

6. Ứng dụng vải Muslin trong cuộc sống

Vải muslin rất được ưa chuộng trong cuộc sống

Vải Muslin sở hữu nhiều đặc tính ưu việt, cũng như vẻ bề ngoài sang trọng, tinh tế. Do vậy, chúng được ứng dụng rộng rãi trong nhiều lĩnh vực như:

May thời trang nữ: Vải Muslin thường được dùng để may váy công sở, đầm dạ hội, áo sơ mi, áo choàng, đồ lót,...

Thời trang trẻ em: Vải Muslin được ứng dụng may quần áo bao gồm cả quần áo trẻ sơ sinh và quần áo trẻ em

Đồ bảo hộ lao động: Hiện nay, rất nhiều bộ đồ bảo hộ đã được may từ vải Muslin. Những bộ đồ này được dùng nhiều ở các quốc gia có khí hậu nóng ẩm.

Thời trang mùa hè: Vải muslin màu rất được ưa chuộng để may thời trang mùa hè nhờ đặc tính thấm hút mồ hôi tốt.

Thời trang mùa đông: Vải len muslin có khả năng giữ ấm cao, giá thành phổ thông nên thường được dùng để may áo, nón, quần áo thời trang mùa thu đông.

Ứng dụng trong đời sống hàng ngày: Vải muslin còn được dùng để sản xuất khăn ăn, khăn trải bàn, rèm cửa, drap gối - drap giường,...

7. Hướng dẫn cách giặt vải Muslin đúng nhất

Phương pháp giặt vải Muslin chuẩn nhất

Để bảo vệ tuổi thọ tối đa của vải muslin, khi giặt bạn nên lưu ý những điểm sau:

Vải Muslin có thể giặt máy hoặc giặt tay đều được. Tuy nhiên sẽ ưu tiên chế độ giặt nhẹ và sử dụng nước giặt có chất tẩy nhẹ. Trong trường hợp cần tẩy vết bẩn khó trên vải muslin bạn nên pha loãng chất tẩy mạnh và không nên ngâm lâu.

Giặt vải muslin trong nước mát hoặc nước ấm, ở nhiệt độ dưới 40 độ C.

Nên giặt riêng vải muslin trắng và vải muslin màu.

Khi giặt cần đảm bảo xả hết chất tẩy với nước sạch. Tránh để chất giặt tẩy bám trên vải muslin gây kích ứng da và làm giảm tuổi thọ vải.

Có thể sử dụng thêm nước xả vải để giữ độ mềm tối ưu cho vải muslin.

Khi phơi vải muslin, bạn nên phơi ở nơi khô thoáng, tránh ánh nắng gay gắt của mặt trời.

Hạn chế ủi quần áo may bằng vải muslin. Nếu bạn cần làm phẳng hãy dùng bàn ủi hơi nước hoặc ủi vải trên bề mặt ẩm.

Hy vọng những chia sẻ trên sẽ mang lại nhiều thông tin hữu ích về vải muslin. Bạn còn muốn biết thêm thông tin gì liên quan đến vải muslin, hãy liên hệ với chúng tôi theo số hotline 1800 1051 để được hỗ trợ giải đáp nhanh nhé.

Theo https://demxinh.vn/tin-tuc/vai-muslin.html

[engelspolitics]

Biggest Inventions Lost to Time

https://www.grunge.com/181948/the-biggest-inventions-lost-to-time/

Silphium → ancient Roman and Greek herb used for food, preservative, perfume, condiment, aphrodisiac, medicine, likely one of the first effective methods of birth control

Grew only in Cyrenaica, extinct by the 2nd century BC

Impossible to domesticate/raise anywhere outside of North Africa

Damascus Steel → carried out of the Middle East in 11th century crusades

Steel gets ripples from the arrangement of crystals in the metal (called wootz)

Petrification of human bodies → Girolamo Segato was a 19th century Italian naturalist who experimented with the use of metals and substances to preserve organic materials, and developed methods for petrifying pieces of the human body and entire animals for sculptures and exhibits

However his methods died with him and he destroyed all of his notes because the Church and polite society disagreed with his work

Stradivarius violins → Antonio Stradivari was born around 1644, died in 1737, and made about 1,000 violins

Research shows that unique solar activity in 17th century created denser trees that were harvested to make denser-than-normal wood with unusual acoustics, and that stradivarius violas had been treated with calcium and aluminium.

Telharmonium → complicated device that made it possible to deliver live music into homes and businesses through telephone wires, invented in 1893

However technology at the time was not ready for the ideas, the machine was too expensive, was dismantled, and no recordings were made

Dhaka Muslin → made exclusively by weavers in Bengal; finest export traded to Roman Empire, where it was worn by the imperial family

Spun from a particular type of cotton (phuti karpas) which is now extinct

Roman Concrete → thought to be made of lava//ash of volcanoes and salt water, which becomes stronger overtime instead of wearing down

With the help of electron microscopes researchers hope to discover what minerals make up this ancient concrete and reverse-engineer it back to the actual recipe

Mummy brown → paint made of mummies that were shipped to Europe ‘by the boatload’ and were ground up for a ton of purposes

Pigment was prized as a paint that was easy to work with, had good transparency, and was versatile as oil and a watercolor paint.

Greek Fire → water could not extinguish it, and it would stick to flesh and keep flaming

Invented in 670s in Byzantine Empire and used against Arabs; only Emperors knew how to make it, and secret perished with them

Mithridatum → ancient king Mithridates paranoid of being poisoned → made an antidote against all possible poisons

Concoction was a combination of actual antidotes and real poisons; by regularly taking the antidote Mithridates built up an immunity.

[metamatar]

The first task was to find a suitable plant. Though there are no phuti karpas seeds in any collection today, they found a neat booklet of its dried, preserved leaves at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, from the 19th Century. From this, it was possible to sequence its DNA.

Armed with their target’s genetic secrets, the team went back to Bangladesh. They looked at historical maps of the Meghna river and compared them to modern satellite images to see how its course had changed over the last 200 years, and find the best spots for potential candidates. Then they hired a boat and scoured its immense breadth – it’s 12km (7 miles) wide in places – for wild plants that resembled old drawings.

Any promising options were sequenced and compared to the original. Eventually they found a 70% match – a dishevelled shrub which may have had phuti karpas ancestors.

To grow it, they initially settled on a plot of land on a small island in the middle of the Meghna, in Kapasia, 30 km (19 miles) north of Dhaka. "It was a very ideal spot. The land is fertile because it was formed through the accumulation of river sediment," says Islam. It was there that in 2015, they planted some test seeds. Soon there were orderly rows of pluti karpas among the dry earth – the first to be cultivated for more than a century.

I knew vaguely that pre-modern hand-woven cloths were much finer than what machines make, but not that the thread counts were an entire order of magnitude higher. Such a loss.

The Bengal Muslin Project has more.