Historically, nightingale bird droppings were used to remove stains from delicate silk garments in Japan, as well as by geishas to whiten and even skin marred by frequent and heavy use of makeup, Pacheco says.

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And examples of ancient silk garments, accessories and textiles are being shown outside China for the first time as Nottingham Castle hosts the Living in Silk exhibition as part of the East Midlands' Cultural Olympiad, the council said.

BBC: Olympic torch relay to stop in Nottingham

The techniques, symbolism and culture surrounding hand-dyed cotton and silk garments known as Indonesian Batik permeate the lives of Indonesians from beginning to end: infants are carried in batik slings decorated with symbols designed to bring the child luck, and the dead are shrouded in funerary batik.

UNESCO: Culture