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For hundreds of years, silk was transported along the Silk Road from China to the Mediterranean through Central Asia. Initially, the people of Central Asia were involved in the shipments of silk; later, indigenous silk production developed, and by the 19th century, silk farming was widespread and practiced by most non-nomadic households. This luxury silk bed cover is constructed of several panels of silk ikat fabric, quilted and lined with printed cotton. Such silks were often used as a decorative coverlet for the wedding night or as a coverlet for hot summer nights in well-to-do families. Other silk ikat fabrics were used as hangings to cover mud walls, as curtains for doorways and as tent walls for festive outdoor gatherings.