Overview:
This book, published in 1857, provides a comprehensive guide to the art of perfumery, exploring the history, methods, and materials used in the creation of fragrances, scented products, and cosmetics. The author, G.W. Septimus Piesse, delves into the origins of perfumery, tracing its use back to ancient religious practices and its role in various cultures.
He then provides a detailed explanation of the methods used to extract scents from plants, including expression, distillation, maceration, and absorption, highlighting the importance of each method and its application to specific flowers and plants. The book offers insights into the production of various perfumes, including simple extracts and complex bouquets, and covers the use of animal substances such as ambergris, civet, and musk for adding depth and permanence to fragrances.
Key Findings:
- The book reveals the importance of the olfactory nerve in warning us about impure air and how the use of perfumes can increase sensitivity to vitiated atmospheres.
- The author advocates for the establishment of flower farms in Britain to reduce reliance on imports and capitalize on a profitable new industry.
- The book highlights the different parts of plants that hold their unique scents, from roots to flowers, seeds, and bark.
- Piesse emphasizes the importance of using steam distillation for delicate scents, as the direct application of fire can impart an unpleasant burnt smell.
- The book explores the complex nature of scent blending, illustrating how the combination of different essential oils can create entirely new and unique fragrances.
Learning:
- The Science of Scent: Readers learn about the chemical basis of scent, understanding that most fragrances are derived from volatile oils, or essential oils, also known as ottos.
- Perfumery Processes: The book details the four main methods of scent extraction: expression, distillation, maceration, and absorption. Each process is explained with practical examples, allowing readers to understand the nuances of extracting different scents.
- Types of Perfumes: Readers will gain knowledge of various types of perfumes, including simple extracts and complex bouquets. The book explores the different materials used in perfumery, highlighting the unique properties of animal substances like ambergris and musk.
- Blending Techniques: This text offers insights into the art of scent blending, explaining how different essential oils interact and create new fragrances. Readers can learn how to combine scents to achieve specific effects, such as adding permanence or enhancing the overall bouquet.
- Historical Context: The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the historical use of perfumes, highlighting their religious and cultural significance in ancient civilizations and the evolution of the perfumery industry.
Historical Context:
The book was published during a time of growing interest in the science of chemistry, with new discoveries and technologies shaping various industries, including perfumery. The author highlights the increasing demand for perfumes and scented products, as well as the emerging trend of using chemical methods to replicate and even enhance natural fragrances. The book also reflects the importance of trade and the growing demand for imported goods, as well as the potential for developing new industries within Britain.
Facts:
- Incense as a Symbol of Respect: Incense, or frankincense, was burned in temples of all religions as a sign of profound respect and homage to divinities.
- Early Christians and Incense: Many early Christians were martyred for refusing to offer incense to idols, demonstrating their opposition to pagan practices.
- Lavish Use of Perfumes: Ancient Greeks and Romans used perfumes lavishly, with some people scenting themselves three times a day.
- Importance of the Smell: The sense of smell is often neglected, but it plays a crucial role in warning us about impure air and promoting overall health.
- Scriptural Authority: The Bible contains numerous references to perfumes, highlighting their use in religious ceremonies and everyday life.
- The Holy Perfume: Exodus 30 outlines the specific recipe for the sacred perfume used in ancient Hebrew rituals.
- The Prophet’s Simile: The Prophet compares prayers ascending to God with the rising smoke of incense, demonstrating its association with spiritual connection.
- Fragrant Tapers: Early Christians burned fragrant oils and wax in church lamps and tapers, adding another dimension to their religious services.
- Constantine’s Gift: Constantine the Great provided fragrant oils to be burned at the altars of Roman churches.
- Frangipanni Perfume: The Frangipanni perfume, a powder made from various spices and iris root, is a long-lasting and popular scent.
- Trade in Perfume Drugs: Perfume drugs from the East were transported on camelback and ships, fueling the growth of trade in ancient Greece and Syria.
- Secrecy in English Perfumery: The English perfumery industry was characterized by secrecy, hindering its growth and innovation compared to its French counterparts.
- Lavender’s Superiority: English lavender, grown at Mitcham, in Surrey, is highly prized for its superior quality and commands a higher price than lavender from other regions.
- Multiple Scents from Plants: Many plants produce more than one distinct perfume from different parts, such as the orange tree, which yields petit grain from leaves, neroli from flowers, and orange oil from the rind.
- The Power of Patchouli: Patchouli has the strongest odor of any plant, capable of completely masking other scents.
- Moths and Patchouli: Patchouli is effective in repelling moths, making it a popular choice for scenting clothes drawers and wardrobes.
- The Allure of Musk: Although many claim to dislike musk, it remains a popular ingredient in perfumes, adding depth and permanence to fragrances.
- Musk’s Influence: Musk has a remarkable ability to diffuse and subtly perfume its surroundings, leaving a lingering scent.
- Ambergris’s Origins: Ambergris, a substance found in the sea, is often discovered in the stomachs of whales and other marine creatures.
- The Mystery of Civet: Civet, secreted by civet cats, has a repulsive odor when pure, but becomes agreeable when diluted to an infinitesimal portion.
Statistics:
- Annual Perfume Consumption: Britain consumes at least 150,000 gallons of perfumed spirits annually.
- Flower Usage by a Perfumer: One large French perfumer utilizes 80,000 lbs. of orange flowers, 60,000 lbs. of cassia flowers, 54,000 lbs. of rose leaves, 32,000 lbs. of jasmine blossoms, 32,000 lbs. of violets, 20,000 lbs. of tubereuse, 16,000 lbs. of lilac, and other fragrant plants in significant quantities.
- Yield of Essential Oils: 1 cwt. of cassia bark yields about 3/4 lb. of oil, while 1 cwt. of lavender flowers produces 14 to 16 oz. of oil.
- Value of English Lavender: Essential oil extracted from Mitcham lavender can fetch eight times the price of oils produced in France.
- Production of Otto of Roses: Approximately 2,000 rose blooms are needed to produce one drachm of otto of roses.
- Turkish Rose Production: The Balkan region of Turkey can produce up to 75,000 ounces of rose otto in good seasons.
- Revenue from Perfumery Imports: The revenue generated from essential oils and other perfumery products imported into England in 1852 was over 9,766l. 16s.
- Value of French Pomatums: French pomatums, valued at 6s. per pound, generated 1,306l. in revenue from imports in 1852.
- Eau de Cologne Revenue: The estimated revenue from eau de cologne imported into England in 1852 was 8,000l.
- Total Revenue from Perfumery: The total revenue generated from perfumes and related products in England in 1852 was estimated to be at least 40,000l.
- Yield of Otto of Patchouli: 1 cwt. of patchouli herb can yield approximately 28 oz. of essential oil.
- Price of Jasmine Otto: In 1851, a six-ounce sample of jasmine otto from Tunisia was priced at 9l. per fluid ounce.
- Yield of Otto of Rosemary: 1 cwt. of rosemary herb yields about 24 oz. of oil.
- Yield of Otto of Santal: 1 cwt. of sandalwood yields about 30 oz. of otto.
- Yield of Otto of Vitivert: 1 cwt. of vitivert root yields approximately 14 oz. of otto.
- Weight of a Musk Pod: A single musk pod typically contains 2 to 3 drachms of grain musk.
- Cost of Fine Essences: Fine essences in London perfumery warehouses could fetch 16s. per pint (16 oz.).
- Price of Fine Pomatums: High-quality flowery-scented pomades in England could command a price of 16s. per pound.
- Yield of Cassie Pomade: Six pounds of No. 24 (best quality) cassie pomade can be used to create one gallon of cassie extract.
- Consumption of Orange Flowers: One large perfumer in Grasse and Paris uses approximately 80,000 lbs. of orange flowers annually.
Terms:
- Otto: A volatile oil extracted from plants, also known as essential oil.
- Expression: A mechanical method of extracting scent by squeezing the plant material.
- Distillation: A process of heating plant material with water to release and collect volatile oils.
- Maceration: Infusing plant materials in a fatty substance (lard or suet) to extract scent.
- Absorption: A cold process where scent is absorbed by a fatty substance (lard or oil) using a frame covered with flower buds.
- Enfleurage: The French term for absorption, often used in reference to the specific process of perfuming fats with flower buds.
- Pomade: A fragrant ointment created by macerating or absorbing scent into a fatty substance.
- Huile Antique: French for “ancient oil,” referring to oils infused with flowers, often used in perfumery.
- Esprit: French for “spirit,” often used in reference to a solution of essential oils in alcohol.
- Bouquet: A complex fragrance composed of a blend of various essential oils.
Examples:
- Egyptian Use of Dry Perfumes: Ancient Egyptians carried pouches of scented gums and wore beads made of fragrant wood.
- The Magi’s Gifts: The Magi presented Jesus with gold, myrrh, and frankincense, demonstrating the importance of perfumes in ancient cultures.
- The Vase at Alnwick Castle: A vase discovered in an Egyptian catacomb, filled with scented gum-resin, provides evidence of the ancient use of dry perfumes.
- The Censer in the British Museum: An Egyptian vase designed as a censer, with tubes to volatilize perfumes, showcases the ancient use of incense.
- The “Four Thieves’ Vinegar”: This legendary mixture of vinegar and herbs was said to protect against the plague.
- Patchouli and Indian Shawls: The distinctive scent of patchouli in Indian shawls led to its use in Western perfumery and the creation of imitation shawls.
- The “Inexhaustible Salts”: Smelling salts, composed of ammonia mixed with fragrant oils, were popular for reviving the senses.
- The “Bloom of Roses” Rouge: This red paint, made with carmine, was used for theatrical makeup and personal adornment.
- The “Wood Violet” Perfume: The Parisian perfumers created a popular violet-based scent called “Violette des Bois” or “Wood Violet,” combining violet extract with other fragrant ingredients.
- Bears’ Grease: This popular hair grease is a complex mixture of oils, pomatums, and essential oils, designed to impart a lasting and flowery scent.
Conclusion:
“The Art of Perfumery” by G.W. Septimus Piesse offers a fascinating glimpse into the historical and practical aspects of perfumery. This book reveals the long-standing connection between fragrance and human civilization, highlighting the role of scent in religious practices, cultural expression, and personal care. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the science of scent, the methods of extracting and blending fragrances, and the various materials used in the perfumery industry. The book emphasizes the importance of using high-quality ingredients, understanding the nuances of scent blending, and appreciating the history of this fascinating art. By embracing the art of perfumery, readers can elevate their appreciation of scent and its role in enhancing everyday life.