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Fragrance through the ages- ANTIQUITY

Home Page > News & Articles > Fragrance through the ages- ANTIQUITY
Fragrance through the ages- ANTIQUITY
Description
This is the first article in our series on

"The History of Fragrance"

throughout this series of articles we will endeavour to trace the use and development of fragrances and perfumes

from ancient times to modern day 



During the civilizations of antiquity, perfume was presented as an offering to the gods. It was believed to sublimate the body and make it more god-like.

The history of perfume dates from antiquity. Perfumery, or the art of making perfumes, began in ancient Egypt but was developed and further refined by the Romans and the Arabs. Flowers, scented plants, gums and resins were raw materials to be used during the ceremonies dedicated to the gods. As the years went by, the interest in fragrant substances intensified and the ways in which they were used multiplied : fumigations, oils, balms, fermented liquors ... Both rich and poor used them in an attempt to get closer to the gods, in the belief that fragrance glorified their beauty and their power. It was believed that fragrance made the body more perfect and healed its ailments. This lofty image changed during the years of decadence that followed and fragrance became an important element of raucous orgies. Although perfume and perfumery also existed in East Asia, much of its fragrance was incense based. The oldest perfumery was discovered on the island of Cyprus. Knowledge of perfumery came to Europe as early as the 14th century partially due to Arabic influences and knowledge. But it was the Hungarians who ultimately introduced the first modern perfume. The art of perfumery prospered in Renaissance Italy, and in the 16th century, Italian refinements were taken to France.

During the Renaissance period, perfumes were used primarily by royalty and the wealthy to mask body odours resulting from the sanitary practices of the day. Perfume came into its own when Louis XV came to the throne in the 18th century. His court was called "le cour parfumee" (the perfumed court). Madame de Pompadour ordered generous supplies of perfume, and King Louis demanded a different fragrance for his apartment every day.

Perfume reached its peak in England during the reigns of Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. All public places were scented during Queen Elizabeth's rule, as she could not tolerate bad smells. As with industry and the arts, perfume was to undergo profound change in the 19th century. During the 1960’s the use of incense and perfumes to fragrance a room began to increase. The development of alternative therapies and the use of oils, herbs etc to enhance treatments or to use in conjunction with massage increased people’s awareness of how scent affects their emotions and led to an increase in the purchase of scents to be used around the home.





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