Handmade on the Silk Road

Anyone else watching this fascinating series?

As the title implies, it's about small family firms and cottage industries that are on the original Silk Road travelled by the likes of Marco Polo and merchants. It stretches from the Mediterranean through the Middle East and continues to China and Japan.

The last two have been about a Chinese family who still dye silk using traditional materials and then use hand looms to make exquisite silk cloth for dresses and other uses.

Another one was about an Iranian potter who throws pots on a wheel and moulds them into vases before decorating and glazing them. The glaze is made out of old glass bottles which are put in powered drum for up to four days continually until they are reduced to a fine powder. The glass powder is mixed with a type of gum before being painted on to the pots. The pots are then fired in a kiln which has been created from a big hole in the ground. The pots are laid in on shelves and the hole covered with bricks. Heat is applied under the kiln (which has a hole in the bottom) to fire the pots. It takes up to four days for them to harden and finally be considered as pots.

Re: Handmade on the Silk Road

Sounds like a good series Judd. Wonder if it is on Netflix...

Re: Handmade on the Silk Road

I've been on the Silk Road in Macclesfield

Re: Handmade on the Silk Road

Yes, I saw them when they were shown a few months ago

It seems to be part of a series on BBC4 called 'Handmade'. There are also

Handmade in Wood - a chair; in Metal - a knife; in Glass - a jug
Pleasant & relaxing, even if you're not that interested in the subject generally
I would have liked to see one about Leather

Handmade by Royal Appointment - Lobb shoes, Steinway pianos. Wedgwood, and a silversmith

Look out fot them on BBC4, they tend to repeat them now & again