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The Eau de Cologne: How an Italian Merchant Invented Modern Luxury
The Eau de Cologne: How an Italian Merchant Invented Modern Luxury
Versailles Smelled of Death: Hygiene and Perfume in the Grand Siècle
Versailles Smelled of Death: Hygiene and Perfume in the Grand Siècle
The Incense Road: The Silk Road Nobody Knows
A road older than silk, older than spice, older than any commodity route that textbooks care to remember.
Kyphi: When the Egyptians Burned Sixteen Ingredients to Speak to the Gods
At sunset, in the temples of ancient Egypt, a ritual began that would last for hours.
Nag Champa: How a Stick of Incense Became a Religion
A smell that needs no introduction and resists all explanation.
Iris of Florence: Three Years Underground for an Ounce of Butter
Iris of Florence: Three Years Underground for an Ounce of Butter
Jasmine Sambac: The Flower That Can Only Be Picked at Night
In the villages outside Madurai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the working day for jasmine pickers begins at three in the morning.
Rose de Mai: Five Thousand Kilos of Petals for One Litre
A number in perfumery that sounds like a mistranslation.
Ylang-Ylang: The Flower That Feeds an Archipelago
Ylang-Ylang: The Flower That Feeds an Archipelago