A length of HR Mallinson's Pussy Willow (trade name) silk--all silk radium like plain weave fabric, quality #5459-D, as it comes from the loom, woven in the gum, natural color. This textile length is a process sample for Pussy Willow, Mallinson's premier selling silk quality, as it came from the loom, before it was washed, dyed, printed, or otherwise finished. It is the natural color of the silk, which was, in the language of the trade, "woven in the gum," meaning that sericin, the natural substance secreted by the silkworm along the silk filament that helped bind the cocoon together, had not been completely removed from the silk yarns before weaving began. This was common practice, as the sericin helped protect the silk yarns from abrasion during the weaving process. Company # 5459-D. This sample is from a group of six donated by the company to illustrate the discharge-printing process.