Why the fascination? China was the far-off land, the mysterious East, mythical Cathay. And, certainly, the materials themselves were precious--rare, luxuriant silks exquisitely embroidered with gold and silver threads, creating undeciphered symbols.

       "I have never collected a textile that didn't speak to me first," writes New York fabric designer Iris Barrel Apfel in the catalog introduction for Dragon Threads: Court Costumes of the Celestial Kingdom. The exhibition at the Newark (New Jersey) Museum last fall featured part of her extensive collection of Chinese costumes. "Even if it only whispered in a language foreign to my ear, no matter--one day I would comprehend its mysterious message."

       For Apfel, a self-admitted clothing and accessories addict, "My Chinese pieces are the most literate of all my fabric treasures. I wanted to do more than admire them for their beauty and skilled craftsmanship alone, but to converse, to ask questions about their faraway heritage, their former life-styles, their interpersonal relationships."

       And, indeed, as this exhibition demonstrates, the inquiry into the signs and symbols of traditional Chinese costuming not only pleases the eye, it yields rich social history.

       Silk is, of course, the textile we associate most with China. According to legend, silk was introduced to the nation by Lei Tsu, consort of the Yellow Emperor, around 2500 B.C. It is a marvelous fabric, light yet strong, and takes wonderfully to various color dyes. From ancient times, the demand for silk was high at home and abroad. It became a prized commodity of trade, traveling east to Korea and Japan, and west, via the famous Silk Route, to the Near East and eventually to the Mediterranean.

       Silk comes from the milk-white cocoon of the lowly silkworm. Silkworms need careful tending, and the processing of the cocoon is labor-intensive and meticulous, with the whole cycle taking about eight weeks. Thousands upon thousands of cocoons are required to produce one garment.