To Scent or Not To Scent (Part 2)

The History of Perfume

The art of making perfumes originated from ancient Egypt. But it was the Romans and the Arabs who developed and further refined the art of perfumery.

Though it was the Egyptians who were the first to discover perfume, Tapputi was the first ever recorded chemist from Mesopotamia who was a perfume maker.

In India, much of its fragrances were incensed based.

In Arab and Persia, through steam distillation was perfumery established and made popular.

Perfumery was made famous in the West by the Hungarians. The Hungary Water was the first ever alcohol-based perfume.

*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 Napolean 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 de Beauharnais 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.*

* Taken from 'history of perfume'.

In England, perfume reached its peak during the reigns of Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. It was said that all public places were scented during the reign of Queen Elizabeth as she had a very sharp nose which could not tolerate bad smells!

For more history on perfume, click here.