By SUSAN TRIMBLE

Men's Work.

Countless camel bells ring
Over desolate sands.
Caravans are travelling
To Anxi city with silk rolls.

from a poem by Zhang Ji

DURING the Han Dynasty, almost 2,000 years ago, the great King of Yutian asked the Chinese Emperor for silkworms. As silk was such a valuable commodity for trade with the Western world, the Emperor did not agree, and actually enlisted special guards trained to detect and deal with smugglers. So the crafty King of Yutian devised a scheme to introduce sericulture to his kingdom. He asked the Emperor of China for his daughter's hand in marriage. This union would ensure future peace between the two nations. When the Emperor agreed, the King of Yutian sent his trusted envoy, Yuchi Mu, to fetch the Princess. Secretly the envoy delivered a message from the King telling the Princess that if she wanted to continue to wear silk robes, she would somehow have to bring silkworms to Yutian.

Determined to please her new husband, the Princess gathered mulberry seeds, leaves and silkworms and hid them in her hairpiece. When she reached Yumenguan, the Jade Gate to the Western Regions, the guards inspected the trunks and cases of the whole procession, but they were reluctant to insult the daughter of the Emperor of China by searching her. Silk was thus introduced to the Kingdom of Yutian.

Silk Rolls.

This legend was recorded in "Notes on the Western Regions of the Great Tang Empire," by the Buddhist pilgrim monk Xuanzang about 1600 years ago. Probably one of the earliest travel books, this account became the basis for the legendary "Journey to the West", the story of Tang Seng, a monk who was sent to India to bring back Buddhist scriptures to China.

The mulberry trees thrived in the hot dry climate of Yutian Kingdom, their roots nourished by the sweet underground waters of the White Jade River. The people of the region perfected their weaving techniques to the extent that Hotan silk was the most desired among all others along the Silk Road. As the people in Hotan began to follow Islam, they adapted the patterns to Islamic motifs.

Fashion Statement.

Atlas silk, as it is known in Uygur language, is just 40 centimeters wide and about seven meters in length. Atlas means "variegated cuckoo's wing," and is most often black and white with proportional splashes of red, blue or yellow. Young girls may wear bright crimson, and their mothers a golden yellow. Lively patterns in a riot of color are worn at festivals and dances. The unique designs resemble wood grain, comb and almond blossom.

Silkworm cocoons are boiled in vats over smoky wood fires. Silkworms produce a one-kilometer-long strand of raw silk with which they spin their cocoons. As the boiling process gradually softens them, a woman's red and aching hands deftly pluck the silken ends from several cocoons and feed them onto a spinning wheel, forming a seven or eight ply strand. She passes a silken skein to her little girl who delivers it to grandmother who, in turn, reels the thread to ensure the thickness is even and of sufficient length. Some of the silk is dyed in vats or bowls of rich color and will be used for weft threads. The silk is then wound onto a bobbin with a rough yarn winder made from a bicycle wheel and wooden frame.

This is women's work. In blackened courtyards under the mottled shade of poplar trees, quiet and serene, the hardworking women of Hotan struggle to keep this art alive.

Drying in the Desert Air.

Warp threads - the lengthwise threads - are wrapped up with corn leaves and string according to the desired pattern. This "wrapping-to-pattern" process is necessary to resist the dye and to "lay in" the pattern on the warp threads. Then the threads are dipped in natural pigment dyes made from plants and minerals. The multi-colored patterns eventually emerge after a process of over-dyeing. The nature of silk, combined with the method of dyeing, creates a beautiful fabric that shimmers and changes shade depending on its movement or the angle from which it is viewed.

And now the men take over. After dyeing, the threads are ready to weave. Most of the weavers are old now, and their eyes are fading. As they weave the magnificent traditional motifs, they dream of years gone by when Hotan silk was valued by traders from Central Asia eastward to the middle reaches of the Yellow River. They dream of passing on their skills to the young men of Hotan. But the young men don't come, saying there is no market for this beautiful handmade Atlas silk with its brilliant natural colors.

Women's Work.

For centuries silk has been worn all over the world by kings and queens, by military and government officials, by beautiful women and handsome men. We have swaddled newborn babes and adorned brides in silk. We have draped windows and doors, bedrooms and parlors in silk. Paris, New York, London and Milan, the fashion houses of the world, all dress up their trendy elite in silk.

Silk endures. But will the ancient methods, the dyeing techniques and the secret skills of laying in the pattern also endure?

The exquisite designs and the vibrant and sophisticated colors of Atlas silk present a challenge that only the best designers can meet. Atlas silk in the hands of talented designers such as Yves St. Laurent, John Galliano, or Alexander McQueen could easily compete on the runways of the fashion world.

From Hotan to Harper's Bazaar - Let's Hope So!

Threadwinder.

Hotan is an oasis in the southern Taklimakan Desert. The ancient capital of the Yutian Kingdom, once known as Yotkan, is thought to have been situated slightly south of present day Hotan (Hetian) on a site known as Malikawat.

Hotan has been a thriving center of trade for 2000 years. It is famous for jade, felting, embroidery and silk. Still a relatively small and isolated city, the streets of Hotan bring surprises around every corner. Carved doorways and lintels bear incredibly detailed floral and geometric designs. The painted and decorated doors compete to welcome you. Courtyards cooled by overhanging grape arbors invite long afternoon siestas. Nang and lamb kebabs to eat, and melons to quench your thirst. Hotan silk to wrap yourself in. What surrealistic existence awaits you in Hotan!

You can reach Hotan by road from Kashgar or by air from Urumqi. But the most exciting way is to make the desert crossing by long distance bus from Luntai, on the northern rim of the Taklimakan where the Tianshan foothills kiss the desert, to Minfeng in the south - a distance of 500 plus kilometers. The bus turns abruptly west here and as you drive through ancient oasis towns, the mighty Kunlun mountains rise up to greet you in the south.