The Silk Form of China Ancient Books

Folded or scroll-shaped China had written characters in silk at the latest during the Warring States Period. Besides simplified books, silk books became popular. Silk books have two forms: folding and scrolling. The silk book of Chu found in the tomb of Warring States in Changsha is folded, while the silk book found in the tomb of Western Han Dynasty in Mawangdui, Changsha is folded and scrolled, and the silk book of scroll is rolled on a piece of wood. Although there was paper in the Eastern Han Dynasty, people at that time valued silk books and despised scroll books written on paper. During the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, silk books were replaced by paper scrolls.