Making silk is an extremely elaborate process that combines human ingenuity with the magic of mother nature. Silkworms, which are actually the caterpillars of the Bombyx mori moth, were once widely bred in Europe, until their populations were decimated by disease in the 19th century. Sericulture is still practiced today in the village of Nam Ban, located in the mountainous Dalat region of central Vietnam. Every morning, about 20 women travel by foot or on two wheels from surrounding villages to work in this small factory that photographer Agathe Catel visited in 2020.
From cultivating the mulberry used to feed the silkworms, to unwinding the cocoons and weaving the threads, this painstaking work is mainly carried out by women. Their seasoned hands are skilled at finding the end of the filament on the cocoon. Working conditions at the spinning mill are difficult: the heat from the boiling water, the weight of the huge reels and the long hours make these women examples of courage.
Although Vietnam is one of the world’s top six silk producers and ranks third in Asia and sixth in the world in exports, it remains heavily dependent on China, the world’s leading producer, for imports. The national conference on the sustainable development of sericulture is held every year in Dalat.
En su patio, a primera hora de la mañana, esta trabajadora recoge los últimos capullos almacenados en un estante, que luego tendrá que llevar a la fábrica. Los capullos se crían en estas estructuras de bambú, a menudo en las propias casas de las trabajadoras, antes de ser clasificados y pesados. Se trata de un trabajo delicado, ya que no deben dañarse.
Making silk fabrics is an extremely precise and elaborate process. The silkworms are first reared for a month and fed on mulberry leaves. Within a few weeks, the larvae multiply their weight by ten thousand. Once it has reached its maximum size, the silkworm weaves a cocoon to transform itself into a chrysalis and then into a moth. The cocoons, however, will be harvested eight to ten days after their formation.
El gusano de seda es en realidad una oruga: se trata de la larva de una polilla, cuyo nombre científico es ’Bombyx mori’, originaria de China, domesticada y seleccionada desde hace miles de años.
The cocoons are formed by a single silk filament secreted by the caterpillar’s glands and woven over two days. The filament is between 800 and 1,500 metres long. Raising silkworms requires specific and delicate knowledge along with ideal climatic conditions, which the Vietnamese province of Lam Dong provides. Silk has been considered a luxury good since ancient times, though it is now more affordable. Sericulture is an ancient and prestigious profession but it entails difficult working conditions.
Los capullos se sumergen en agua hirviendo durante cinco minutos para ablandar la sericina que envuelve el hilo de seda y poder desenrollarlo. Después se recuperan las larvas, que se fríen para su consumo.
The women who work in the spinning mills endure many arduous conditions, particularly due to the heat generated by the reeling machines. They don’t wear gloves and their hands spend long hours in the hot water. Wearing a mask in front of the machines is, however, mandatory. Some workers may develop health problems due to exposure to chemicals and the uncomfortable postures they assume while working with the machines.
Las trabajadoras cuelgan los capullos hervidos en las bobinas de desenrollado. La bobina ensambla entre cuatro y diez hilos, que se sueldan entre sí al enfriarse. A continuación los hilos se enrollan en carretes y se montan en el telar. Una vez que están bien dispuestos en paralelo, se puede empezar a tejer.
The workers also have to wash the cocoons in basins on the floor in a squatting position. While their wages are above the country’s minimum wage and the World Bank’s international poverty line, they have to work long hours to support their families, often under strict hierarchies headed by men.
El tejido de la seda es un entrelazado de hilos horizontales y verticales. Los países asiáticos producen cerca del 90% de la seda mundial, pero este textil compite cada vez más con las fibras sintéticas.
Vietnam has experienced considerable economic growth in recent years under the so-called ‘market socialism’ model. Over the last ten years, household spending has quadrupled and per capita wealth has tripled. The current legal working week is 48 hours. Working days may not exceed eight hours per day and overtime may not exceed four hours per day.
La seda es un tejido noble, apreciado por su brillo. En Vietnam se utiliza en todas las ceremonias. Las prendas se fabrican in situ, por lo que toda la cadena de producción se desarrolla en las tradicionales granjas de gusanos de seda.
Unfortunately, women are often forced to delegate the care of their children in order to pursue a career that offers them little chance of advancing. Moreover, their salaries are still much lower than those of men.
