The anointed

The Egyptians already knew about perfume. Through their pictures and writings, the annals of ancient cultures suggest that fragrant substances from nature enjoyed a firm place in the daily lives of the Etruscans, Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese. Fragrance as a sacrificial offering to the gods – Frankincense, myrrh and
blossoms like jasmine were initially the exclusive domain of the high priests. It was thought that it was possible to communicate with the gods through the rising smoke produced by burning fragrant substances. Incense is still ceremoniously burned today in the Catholic Church, and this ritual presumably has the same roots. Per fumum – the Latin idiom meaning through smoke – is therefore the origin of the modern word Perfume. In the Old Testament, Exodus 30 contains a reference to a perfume recipe, in this case an anointing oil.

Yet it was the desire for beauty and care that brought fragrant resins and blossoms into daily life. A Roman fresco, for example, depicts a young maiden filling perfume into a little bottle. On an Egyptian wall panel from a grave in Thebes, it is possible to distinguish a lady smelling a perfume. On her head, she wears a typical perfume cone, which is slowly melted by the body’s heat. An Indian poem by Kalidasa contains
the following description:

In the summer, the beautiful ladies perfume their busts with the oil of sandalwood,
their hair with jasmin water,
their bodies with rose water,
to prepare themselves for love.

In Europe, the culture of fragrances first began to spread during the twelfth century. Amulets in the shape of a small apple, with gaps that could be individually opened and
filled, were in common use. Since the customary fragrant waxes were called “ambre”, these often highly artistic items of jewelry were called fragrance apples – pommes
d’ambre – pomander. Also popular were potpourris that were made from blossoms, fruits
and spices to mask bad odors in the home. Even utilitarian items were perfumed – like the leather gloves that fine ladies could hold under their sensitive noses when they had to cross the litter-strewn roads.