Perfume and other forms of fragrance have been around since the times of early Mesopotamia and
Egypt. Even today the perfume industry continues to make big business selling its exquisite products all over the world. From the pyramids and Roman bathes to the French Revolution, the role of fragrance in history is a vast one that made a lasting impression on all those who came into contact with it.
Egypt
You can’t talk about perfume or fragrance without mentioning
Egypt. The use of fragrance played a huge role in daily Egyptian life, from burying the dead to personal hygiene. The Egyptians were the first to use rich scents of cinnamon and honey to anoint their bodies with. Because cleanliness was so important to the Egyptians, fragrances, oils, herbs and flowers were seen as a valuable commodity that was more precious than gold. The fascination with perfume was expressed in the beautifully designed bottles that held the widely used scents. The presence of perfume remained strong within Egyptian culture until the death of Cleopatra and the invasion of the Greeks and Romans.
Greece
The idea of the Roman and Greek bathes was taken from Egyptian culture and also included the use of fragrant oils. By furthering the development of perfume from ancient
Egypt, the Greeks created the first liquid perfume through the use of mixing powders and heavy oils. The role of fragrance also made its way into Greek religion. Many Greeks associated the sweet smell of perfume with the presence of gods and goddesses. Like the Egyptians, the Greeks used perfume for special occasions such as anointing dead bodies with scented oils and crowning bridal maidens with hyacinths during weddings.
Greece played a critical role in the development of fragrance by categorizing the various scents by what part of the plant they were made from. These notes were written down and helped contribute to the science of perfume. But the Greeks’ efforts were further developed once
Europe got a hold of perfume.
France
When Arabic influences brought perfume to Europe around the 14th century, Queen Elizabeth of
Hungary jumped on the bandwagon. The first modern perfume was created using scented oils mixed with alcohol in 1370 and was referred to as “Hungary Water” throughout
Europe. The popularity of perfume was accelerated by the time perfumery reached
Italy in the 16th century and finally found a home in
France during the 17th century. Once restricted for use by only royalty and the wealthy, the role of fragrance became more accessible to everyone by the 18th century, when eau de Cologne was created. This blend of neroli, bergamot, lemon and rosemary because a huge sensation in
France. Using the same care as the Egyptians, the French adopted the art of beautiful perfume bottles, which only served to make the use of perfume and cologne a highly sought after commodity.
While
France is still recognized as one of the major distributors of the finest fragrances, the art of perfumery has reached all corners of the globe, with new scents being developed for everyone to indulge in.
|
| | The Journey of Fragrance |
| |
There is a lot of mystery which surrounds ancient history of fragrance. It is believed that primitive perfumery began with the burning of gums and resins for incense. Later on richly scented plants were included into animal and vegetable oils to anoint the body for pleasure and ceremonies.
...Read more |
| | | A Quick Guide to Natural Fragrance |
| |
Fragrances derived from flowers and plants have been used for thousands of years to soothe and heal people. Throughout history aromatic oils have been used for their power to influence emotions and states of mind.
Because of the powers of natural fragrance, natural plant essence has
been
...Read more |
| |
|
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
