The
history of perfume begins in antiquity. Perfume is thousands of years old - the
word "perfume" comes from the Latin per fume "through
smoke". One of the oldest uses of perfumes comes from the burning of
incense and aromatic herbs used in religious services, often the aromatic gums,
frankincense and myrrh, gathered from trees. The Egyptians were the first to
incorporate perfume into
their culture followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. The earliest use of perfume bottles is Egyptian and dates to around 1000 BC. The Egyptians invented glass and perfume bottles were one of the first common uses for glass.
their culture followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. The earliest use of perfume bottles is Egyptian and dates to around 1000 BC. The Egyptians invented glass and perfume bottles were one of the first common uses for glass.
The
word perfume is used today to describe scented mixtures and is derived from the
Latin word, "per fumus", meaning through smoke. Perfumery, or the art
of making perfumes, began in ancient Egypt but was developed and further
refined by the Romans and the Arabs. Although perfume and perfumery also
existed in East Asia, much of its fragrances are incense based. The basic
ingredients and methods of making perfumes are described by Pliny the Elder in
his Naturalis Historia.
Perfume
is a mixture of aromatic compounds, fragrant essential oils, alcohol and
water. The perfume world classifies perfumes into scent groups such as
floral, fruity, woody, amber, musk, and oriental. Perfume is further
divided by its potency: Real Perfume has the highest concentration of essential
oils with 22%, Eau de Parfum has 15% to 22%, Eau de Toilette has 8% to 15%, Eau
de Cologne has 8% to 15% and Eau Fraiche has 1 to 3% essential oils for
just a hint of fragrance.
Evidence
of perfume making began in Egypt and Mesopotamia and was then picked up by the
Persians and the Romans. The first perfume maker of record was a woman chemist
named Tapputi, she was spoken of in tablet from Mesopotamia in the second
millennium BC. The first of the modern perfumes was created in 1370 by the
Hungarians, for Queen Elizabeth of Hungary. Soon after this, the art of
perfumery spread through Europe. Today, the Grasse region in France remains the
center of the European perfume industry. The late 19th century
brought the perfume era as we know it due to advances in organic
chemistry.
Cyprus
To
date, the oldest perfumery was discovered on the island of Cyprus. Excavations
in 2004-5 under the initiative of an Italian archaeological team unearthed
evidence of an enormous factory that existed 4,000 years ago during the Bronze
Age. This covered an estimated surface area of over 4,000 metros indicating
that perfume manufacturing was on an industrial scale. The news of this
discovery was reported extensively through the world press and many artifacts
are already on display in Rome.
The
Bible describes a sacred perfume (Exodus 30:22-33) consisting of liquid myrrh,
fragrant cinnamon, fragrant cane, and cassia. Its use was forbidden, except by
the priests. The woman wore perfume to present their beauty.
Islamic
Islamic
cultures contributed significantly in the development of Western perfumery in
both perfecting the extraction of fragrances through steam distillation and
introducing new, raw ingredients. Both of the raw ingredients and distillation
technology significantly influenced Western perfumery and scientific
developments, particularly chemistry.
As
traders, Islamic cultures such as the Arabs and Persians had wider access to
different spices, herbals, and other fragrance material. In addition to trading
them, many of these exotic materials were cultivated by the Muslims such that
they can be successfully grown outside of their native climates. Two examples
of this include jasmine, which is native to South and Southeast Asia, and
various citrus, which are native to East Asia. Both of these ingredients are
still highly important in modern perfumery.
In
Islamic culture, perfume usage has been documented as far back as the 6th
century and its usage is considered a religious duty.
The
Persian Muslim doctor and chemist Avicenna introduced the
process of extracting oils from flowers by means of distillation, the procedure
most commonly used today. He first experimented with the rose. Until his
discovery, liquid perfumes were mixtures of oil and crushed herbs, or petals
which made a strong blend. Rose water was more delicate, and immediately became
popular. Both of the raw ingredients and distillation technology significantly
influenced western perfumery and scientific developments, particularly
chemistry.
Eggs
and floral perfumes were brought to Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries from
Arabia, through trade with the Islamic world and with the returning Crusaders.
Those who traded for these were most often also involved in trade for spices
and dyestuffs. There are records of the Pepperers Guild of London, going back
to 1179; which show them trading with Muslims in spices, perfume ingredients
and dyes.
Hungary
Knowledge
of something perfumery came to Europe as early as the 14th century due
partially to Arabic influences and knowledge. But it was the Hungarians who
ultimately introduced the first modern perfume. The first modern perfume, made
of scented oils blended in an alcohol solution, was made in 1370 at the command
of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary and was known throughout Europe as Hungary Water.
Italy
The
art of perfumery prospered in Renaissance Italy, and in the 16th century,
Italian refinements were taken to France by Catherine de' Medici's personal
perfumer, Rene le Florentin. His laboratory was connected with her apartments
by a secret passageway, so that no formulas could be stolen en route.
France
France
quickly became the European center of perfume and cosmetic manufacture.
Cultivation of flowers for their perfume essence, which had begun in the 14th
century, grew into a major industry in the south of France. During the
Renaissance period, perfumes were used primarily by royalty and the wealthy to
mask body odors resulting from the sanitary practices of the day. Partly due to
this patronage, the western perfumery industry was created. Perfume enjoyed
huge success during the 17th century. Perfumed gloves became popular in France
and in 1656, the guild of glove and perfume-makers was established. Perfumers
were also known to create poisons; for instance, a French duchess was murdered
when a perfume/poison was rubbed into her gloves and was slowly absorbed into
her skin.
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 everyday. The court of Louis XIV was even
named due to the scents which were applied daily not only to the skin but also
to clothing, fans and furniture. Perfume substituted for soap and water. The
use of perfume in France grew steadily. By the 18th century, aromatic plants
were being grown in the Grasse region of France to provide the growing perfume
industry with raw materials. Even today, France remains the centre of the
European perfume design and trade.
After
Napoleon came to power, exorbitant expenditures for perfume continued. Two
quarts of violet cologne were delivered to him each week, and he is said to
have used sixty bottles of double extract of jasmine every month. Josephine had
stronger perfume preferences. She was partial to musk, and she used so much
that sixty years after her death the scent still lingered in her boudoir.
England
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, since she
could not tolerate bad smells. It was said that the sharpness of her nose was
equaled only by the slyness of her tongue. Ladies of the day took great pride
in creating delightful fragrances and they displayed their skill in mixing
scents.
As
with industry and the arts, perfume was to undergo profound change in the 19th
century. Changing tastes and the development of modern chemistry laid the
foundations of perfumery as we know it today. Alchemy gave way to chemistry and
new fragrances were created. The industrial revolution had in no way diminished
the taste for perfume, there was even a fragrance called "Parfum a la
Guillotine". Under the post-revolutionary government, people once again
dared to express a penchant for luxury goods, including perfume. A profusion of
vanity boxes containing perfumes appeared in the 19th century.
America
In
early America, the first scents were colognes and scented water. Florida water,
an uncomplicated mixture of eau de cologne with a dash of oil of cloves,
cassia, and lemongrass, was popular.
The
1920s saw the expansion of the perfume market in the United States, many new
companies emerged and fashion designers started having chemists create their
own fragrances. Baccarat perfume bottles were introduced and were known
for their high quality crystal. They were the designers of most of the
perfumers of the time period. During the depression perfume bottles tended
to be less fancy and were quite conservative and often made by
machine. After World War II new perfumers like Christian Dior and Nina
Ricci started making their works of art. Perfume bottles once again became
elaborate and luxurious. In the 1950s, Salvador Dali tried his hand at
designing a bottle for Marquay perfumes. The creation was that of a man in a
top hat and bow tie. LancĂ´me released Magie in 1950, held in a beautiful
Baccarat bottle with stars.
Today perfumers create the
most innovative and sensational perfumes you can imagine. In a market that is
expected to exceed $36 billion in sales by 2017 you’re in if you can get a
piece of the action. The finest fragrance laboratories and perfume specialist
are constantly working out what the next new successful fragrance
will be. And although the methods have greatly improved and the
compositions of perfumes are much more refined and complex than in ancient
times, those earliest ingredients like flowers, herbs, spices and oils are
still being used today.
Comments
Post a Comment