Tussah silk

Tussah silk is the most important wild silk and is obtained from the cocoons of the moth genus Antheraea — mainly Antheraea mylitta (Indian tussah) and Antheraea pernyi (Chinese oak silkmoth). Unlike the domesticated Bombyx mori, these moths live freely on oak, terminalia or sal trees.

Because the moths often emerge before the cocoons are collected, the continuous filament is broken — the fibres are spun rather than reeled. The result is an irregular, slightly nubby fibre with a characteristic honey to golden-brown natural colour. The hand is more rustic than mulberry silk, but tussah is more durable and wrinkles less. Main producers are India and China; it is used for summer jackets, blazers, blouses and decorative home textiles.

• Natural colour honey to golden brown, difficult to bleach fully
• Livelier, less smooth hand than mulberry silk
• Higher tensile strength and less wrinkling than Bombyx silk
• Main areas: India (Bihar, Jharkhand), China (Shandong)