Crossing Oceans of Time to Bottle Antiquity

Perfumes are ephemeral beings. Open the bottle stopper and they evaporate, soon lost to time. Lost even faster than the stone visage of Ozymandias. But they can be trapped in time by disasters such as shipwrecks, volcanic explosions or earthquakes and re-discovered intact.

Judging by the salvaged tiles which had miraculously been "baked" and thus sufficiently hardened in the great fires of Crete to keep their inscriptions, as well as the pottery which had been buried under volcanic earth for the benefit of our discovery in Akrotiri, Santorini in Greece and in Pompeii, Italy, I can personally attest to the above statement. It is amazing to contemplate how things which you thought forever lost have a way of being respected by that great reaper, Time, and how everything on this beautiful earth leaves a perceptible trace for the sensitive souls of tomorrow to follow like a detective.

David Pybus, also known as the Indiana Jones of the perfume industry (and additionally the "Perfume Hunter", Hunter being his middle Christian name) has been associated with the British Museum as the reconstructor of ancient perfumes for the benefit of his contemporaries. He has spent a large part of his life searching for, collecting and re-creating perfumes from antiquity. Fragrances of frankincense, myrrh, resins and spikenard, which have stood the test of time proving to be fit even for our fickle, modern days. Fragrances in that vein prove popular, like the Comme de Garcons Incense series, the recent trio of L'orientalistes by Annick Goutal (Ambre Fétiche, Myrrhe Ardente and Encens Flamboyant), La Myrrhe by Lutens, Frankincense Myrrh Rose Maroc by Regina Harris and countless others.



In the above clip he talks about the wondrous things that came from ancient Egypt in relation to perfumes: the origin of perfumes via incense offering to the Gods (per fumum which in Latin means "through smoke"), the regal use of aromatics and the ensuing tomb raiding in pursuit of...perfumes, the hallucinogenic properties of the sacred blue lotus (steeped in wine to be drunk), the catching of its headspace* for the purposes of recreating its odour profile and the amazing adventure that it has been trying to trace the origins of perfumery.

His own site, named Scents of Time can be accessed here: Scents of Time
David worked with perfumers from Givaudan to be able to reconstruct the fragrances which echo antiquity. The recreated perfume Ankh, named after the Egyptian talisman of eternal life and the perfume of Pharaoh Tutankhamen himself, is a masterful recreation of the best of Egyptian perfumery. Derived from the famed Kyphi incense formula (which we referenced in this article) found at Edfu on the Nile, this fragrance was reputedly burnt three times during the day: to greet the sun on its return, to give thanks to the giver of life at noon and to pray for a swift return at eventide.

Other recreated compositions include: Nenúfar , based on the scent of blue lotus (and perhaps echoing the Homeric tale of the Lotus Eaters who abandonded themselves to Lythe), a recreation of Cleopatra's fragrance; and Pyxis, inspired by floral, herbal and spice spores found in the garden of a perfumer, believed to be called Sperato, at Pompeii, combined with ingredients available at the four corners of the Roman Empire. Petra is the latest, inspired by the Elixir of Life, the Philosopher's Stone (hence the hellenic name which means stone), being worked at right now. You can find out about Pybus's scents by contacting him at mailto:info@scentsoftime.co.uk

But David Pybus has also been the first to amass a great amount of poetry and literature in general that is associated with fragrances and aromatic materials. His book Transports of Delight is a compendium of fragrant verse and aromatic stanzas that explore the widths and breadths of the earth from ancient civilizations right up to our days, with poetry by David himself. An immensely enjoyable book, which I highly recommend. His other books are equally interesting, such as Kodo, the way of Incense and Chemistry of Fragrances in collaboration with many other authors.

*headspace technology is a technique to elucidate the odour compounds present in the air surrounding various objects and then analyzing it and recreating it in the lab
Clip via msn.com brought to my attention by Colonia on POL.

Pic of faience perfume vase in the shape of a lotus bud, 13cm height, from Sesedi,Sudan hailing from the 18th dynasty (1300BC), courtesy of the British Museum. {Sesebi in Nubia was founded in the time of Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV, 1352-1336 BC), was home to an Egyptian colony during the New Kingdom expansion to the South. Occupation coincides with Akhenaten's reign, during which a religious revolution was attempted when Akhentaten tried to impose monotheism of Sun God. He failed}

Caught In Her Clutches ~Ma Griffe by Carven: fragrance review

Mademoiselle Carven defined her fragrant prototype as "an outdoor perfume that needs to give up its heady character", resembling her, hence the name and the packaging: "white for innocence, youth, and freshness; green because to me it's the most beautiful colour in the world". The creation was none other than Ma Griffe (my signature), the legendary 1946 masterpiece of -by then- already anosmic Jean Carles, for which a startlingly different advertising campaign was devised: parachuting Trocadero in Paris with thousands of sample bottles! What a wonderful idea!

But Carven wasn't born so. Petite to extremis, Mademoiselle Carmen de Tomaso founded a fashion house at ni6, Rond Point des Champs Elysées to cater to dainty women's needs like her own, among them Michelle Morgan and Edith Piaf. She decided very early on that her Spanish-sounding name was not on a par in the Paris scene; so she went through the whole alphabet substituting consonants till she stumbled upon V. Carven it would be, alors! From then on she produced frocks as well as frags, from Vert et Blanc and the iconic men's Vétiver to the trio of Robe d'un Jour, Robe d'un Soir and Robe d'un Rêve (a dress for day, a dress for evening and a dress for a dream).

Ma Griffe is referenced in Janet Fitch's novel White Oleander , a story about dysfunctional foster care, as the signature scent of Olivia Johnstone, a stylish and agreeable prostitute next door who befriends the young narrator Astrid and later gives her a bottle of Penhaligon's, a metaphor for their relationship. Fitch had an aunt who was an actress, spoke French and traveled to Paris, so when "a really chic French perfume" was needed, Ma Griffe came to mind.

True to form, Ma Griffe is a very Parisian idea of a springtime and summer fragrance, très élegant, its cooling freshness contrasting with warmth underneath, powdery as nothing else can be and starkly green. The gardenia note is constructed on styralyll acetate, same as in Miss Dior one year later on a formula by Jean Carles perfectioned by Paul Vacher. Generally floral chypres of the times relied on the heady greenness of this synthesized aroma for their kick of feminine guiles, before progressing to jasmolactone and the tiglates of today.
Like I had written when composing the Chypre Series, Ma Griffe was conceived to be "very powdery dry and quite spicy thanks to the weird note of styrax, [...and] managed to be assertive in its name (it means "my signature", but also "my talon") and supremely sparkly and feminine in its aroma. It marked the introduction of chypres into the arena of professional women. Those were not factory workers of the war or flappers; they were secretaries at the new firms; twin set in place, string of pearls and a slick of lipstick on impeccably powdered faces. The psychology of those new chypres talked about women who earned their living by themselves, but did not manifest themselves as sexual predators: There is a sense of detachment and intelligence".


Sadly, Ma Griffe has changed its colours like a cornered chameleon over the years, due to change of ownership of the brand, resulting in the occasional cheapening of the formula, opposing opinions and confusion when trying to locate a bottle that prompts the djin to come out. The formula has indeed been reworked multiple times since its birth, ending with the latest version of 2006 eau de parfum being a one-dimensional soapy floral. Current owndership of Arco International is reportedly trying to reposition it. Let's hope so!

Maria, also known as Bittergrace to her accomplishes in pagan reversion, critters' photography, political wit and artistic smuttiness, had been most kind in sending me a round of vintage versions for me to compare and contrast with my own and the memories of the women in my family who have worn Ma Griffe faithfully.

The oldest, coming from the 70s in a splash bottle smells intensely citrusy, with an aldehydic fizz that makes a sparkling overture to the floral green proceedings. Since bergamot was one of the first photo sensitizers to be heavily restricted, I assume the second batch in a clear swirl-capped bottle, which comes from the 80s, has lost its shining citrus tang due to that. In addition it is heavily powdery and more assertive, in accordance to the times perhaps, with a pleasing off note that manages to remind me of the impossibly chic fragrance my grandmother wore. Last, but not least, an early to mid-90s formula of parfum de toilette reveals facets of the 80s vintage but less potent, while still not as bright as the first one, but quite good.
Maria warned me about the 'eau de toilette' in a broad-shouldered bottle with a green plastic cap, describing it as "just unbelievably awful. Avoid it like the plague!" Duly noted, Maria!

Originally Ma Griffe was marketed as a young scent at a time when the youth segment had not been catered for. Ironically one of the most common complaints is it smells old. Myself, I ascribe that only to changed perceptions and vogues.
Ma Griffe can be traced on online discounters, certain shops and on Ebay. Careful attention to packaging and bottles as well as sampling from different periods might help you find the version you prefer.

Notes:
Top: Gardenia, Galbanum, Aldehydes, Clary sage
Middle: Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Sandal, Vetiver
Base: Styrax, Cinnamon, Benzoin, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Musk

Pics courtesy of parfum de pub. Clip originally uploaded by courageousjohnny on Youtube

Fumigation

Ancient traditions have the endearing trait of sometimes not being out of place in the modern world and even recalling beliefs which we thought had expired along with the pre-Industrialised world. It wasn't too long ago that we were talking about Arabian Rituals and about incensing clothes and body in preparation for weddings as well as an everyday custom that women (and men) indulge into for well-being and appeal.
A kind reader by the name Kels sent us the following clip, which depicts the fascinating process in all its detail, shot in Yemen, as part of the BBC documentary "Women in Black".



The charcoals are placed in the ceramic censer and a scarf is placed over the head to catch the fragrant emanations, sometimes making the eyes water from the smoke but obviously imparting a magnificent aura of divine beauty.
"In the west you smoke fish, meat and cheese. Here we smoke ourselves". Indeed!

In fact the whole documentary is exceedingly interesting on many levels, fragrance nonwithstanding, so I highly recommend you click on the following link and watch the clips uploaded. Enlightening!


Next: musings on an enduringly classic fragrance that is a legend in its own right!

Clip originally uploaded by BBCWomeninBlack on Youtube.

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Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes

The things one comes across....In Wikipedia, the fast-food of knowledge and the road to quick access to most about anything, there is an article on Celebrity Endorsed Perfumes: in list form, no less!

The list is not exhaustive, but it's comprehensive enough and categorised according to occupation, which comes very handy when you're frantically searching just what perfume was graced by the mug of your favourite actor/singer/socialite/whatever.

From Miss You Nights and Devil Woman by Cliff Richards (yes, who would have thought?) to Moi by Miss Piggy (now, there's a face to launch a thousand ships!) and Mojo by Austin Powers, here is the list of famous faces which have fronted perfumes. Click on this link!