History of Silk Flowers

Silk flowers have gotten a bad rap. Though sometimes dismissed as fake or phony or part of the "mallification" of America, artificial flowers actually have an artistic heritage dating back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians and Romans made artificial flowers, and in Europe during the Middle Ages, hand-crafted artificial flowers were used in both fashion and decoration.

The origin of silk flowers

Though artificial flowers made from other materials had existed for many years, the creation of silk flowers is attributed to China. In Europe, the Italians were the first to produce silk flowers. By the 12th century, Italy was making artificial blooms using the dyed cocoons of silkworms.

From the 14th century to the 18th century, France was at the forefront of artificial flower making. Because of the French Revolution, some French artisans left for England, and from England the art of silk flower making would reach America during the 19th century.

Silk flowers in the 20th century

For much of the 20th century, Japan was the leading exporter of artificial flowers. In the U.S., silk flowers were imported from France for use in weddings and decoration, while Italian artificial flowers were commonly used in wreaths and ornaments.

Japan's dominance of the global artificial flower market waned during the 1960s, replaced by Hong Kong (in 1967, a labor dispute at an artificial flower factory in Hong Kong ultimately became an international political incident). It was during the late 1960s that the use of polyester and plastic-covered wire became prevalent in artificial flower production.

Silk flowers today

The silk flower industry has today become a multi-billion-dollar business. Many artificial flowers are still manufactured in Asia, though Thailand and China have become the primary producing nations. Though still referred to as silk flowers, today's artificial flowers are most often made from synthetic fibers shaped from sculpted molds.

Silk flowers are now more realistic than ever, capable of appealing to all of our senses: sight, touch, and even smell. Perhaps it's time to abandon the phrase "artificial flower" and adopt the term the Japanese prefer: art flower.