Mud silk originates from the Ming dynasty (~1406 AD). It gets its name from the dyeing process, where the fabric is soaked in layers of mud and dyed in pure yam juice and grass. The mud silk manufacturing process is purely manual and extremely labor intensive, altogether needing 14 procedures. This process makes its quantity very limited. The fabric is actually rolled in mud from the bottom of a river to achieve the color, patina, and almost buttery texture for that you see in our products. The material is then exposed to sunlight 30-40 hours creating varied and stunning tortoise-shell patterns in a fabric that is both elegant and durable. Mud silk is valued for its timeless beauty, and it is the finest silk fabric currently available.