Claim: Art silk is any synthetic fiber which resembles silk, but typically costs less to produce, the first successful artificial silks being developed in the 1890s of cellulose fiber (fibers made with ethers or esters of cellulose) and marketed as art silk or viscose.
Evidence: Artificial silk or art silk is any synthetic fiber which resembles silk, but typically costs less to produce. The first successful artificial silks were developed in the 1890s of cellulose fiber and marketed as art silk or viscose, a trade name for a specific manufacturer. Cellulose fibers (/ˈsɛljʊloʊs, -loʊz/) are fibers made with ethers or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from other plant-based material.