LOOM AND SPINDLE—HOOPER. 649 
warp at F, which between the roller B and the reed is wide enough 
for passing the weft through. 
The successful weaving of plain silk necessitates a development 
of the loom to this point. It is therefore reasonable to credit the 
Chinese, who until the third century A. D. were the monopolists of 
silk and silk weaving, with all these essential contrivances. Subse- 
quently to the third century these inventions spread through the East 
generally and finally to Europe, first to Spain and Italy, then to 
France, Germany, and England. It is remarkable that the loom of 
to-day, on which the very best silk fabrics are woven, should in all 
essential points be the same as the looms of ancient China. 
Fic. 31.—Section of opened warp. 
Figure 32 (pl. 8) is from a sketch I drew from life in a Bethnal 
Green silk weaver’s workshop a few weeks ago. The weaveress is 
making a rich black satin, which will be all but perfect when it is cut 
out of the loom, and will require no after artificial finishing to make it 
ready for sale. The loom is arranged in the simple manner described, 
except that as the weaving of satin requires more heddles than plain 
silk eight heddles instead of two only are shown. 
The first impression given by figure 33, which is a diagram of an 
English loom, is one of sturdy strength. Strength and the perfect 
adjustment of the various parts of the loom are prime requisites 
where rapid and accurate weaving are desired. 
Figure 34 (pl. 8) is from a manuscript of the fourteenth century 
and represents an English silk weaver of the period at his loom. 
Whether the weaver is in correct costume I can not say, but the loom 
and its fittings are quite recognizable and like the loom of to-day, 
except for their slightness. 
