Hi -- I'm new to the board, and joined because I own a piece of fabric that I'm trying to identify. I thought it was silk, but now I'm not so sure.
I found a thread from December related to identifying whether or not something is silk, which was helpful, but I'm still stymied.
It's a fabric woven from very, very fine fibers, with quite a sheen to it. It has a label on it that says "Kiryu Gown Society, Superior Trademark" with a picture of a dragonfly. It was a rummage sale find about eight years ago, but I have no idea of its history prior to that. I always thought that I might do something with it, but I haven't managed to and I believe I'll wind up eBaying it instead, hoping it lands in hands that have more talent than mine.
I don't want to misrepresent it in the listing, so I tried some of the tests from the December thread, but I'm just not sure. It doesn't "melt" like a synthetic, but it did actually flame rather than glow, which I believe silk shouldn't do? Any other tips? I really don't want to say that it's silk if it's not.
I did find this link about the Kiryu textile industry, and it does seem that Kiryu fabrics are often -- but not always -- silk.
http://www.kiea.jp/KiryuOri.html
Any information would be very much appreciated!