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Perfume past and present
WHAT-TO-DO - NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND - JAN 2006
Perfume past and present
Heavenly scents for you
Historians, archaeologists and anthropologists tell us men and women have used scents since before recorded time. Early Egyptians may have been the first people to actually manufacture perfumes, which they used ceremonially and in daily life.
In his book Perfume, William Kaufman wrote, "The most important perfume used by the Egyptians was the Kyphi. Scholars claim that when the tomb of King Tutankhamen was opened, this was the odour that issued forth." Kyphi, also called Kapet, was believed to revive sexuality of the dead. It is a mixture of strong scents and may include as few as a dozen ingredients or more than 50.
Persians, Greeks, Romans, Indians and other ancient civilizations all mixed scents with oils to create what would today be called perfume.
Perfumes and fragrances played a role in medieval European culture. Historians attribute the widespread use to the era's lack of basic hygiene. Heavy scents were used to mask offensive odours rather than to entice. Homes, as well as their residents, were perfumed. The wealthier the resident, the stronger and sweeter the scent.
Bahamas connection
Interestingly, perfume played a significant role in the early history of what is today The Bahamas. The Italian nobleman, the Marquis Frangipani of Rome, supposedly accompanied Columbus to the New World and returned to Italy with the West Indies flower, the Plumeria alba, which provided the foundation for a popular perfume.
Plumeria alba is one of several flowers in the Plumeria family known to gardeners as frangipani.
The first settlers to The Bahamas came in search of religious freedom, but they were also economically motivated to harvest the islands' resources. One resource in particular - ambergris - was considered so valuable that the rules for distributing income from it were written into regulations. Ambergris, according to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, is "a wax-like secretion of the intestines of the sperm whale, found floating in tropical seas and used in perfume manufacture."
It was one of the first exports from the early settlements, but always in limited quantities. It is suspected that most was smuggled out instead of being sold through official channels.
Perfumes, spices and fragrances are a high-value, compact product and have always been trade items. Even in medieval times, scents from distant locations were incorporated into perfumes.
The 21st century consumer has many choices. New fragrances are introduced every year; some survive but most soon disappear. Shandy Martinez, Solomon's Mines perfume expert, reports this year's most popular fragrances are Echo by Davidoff, Miami Glow from Jennifer Lopez and Gucci's Envy Me.
Whether these perfumes will still attract buyers in a decade or even next year, only time will tell.
Some fragrances become classics and topping that list is Chanel No 5. "It is always a safe choice for husbands and boyfriends," says Martinez. "Actually men do a very good job of selecting what's right for their lady." Two other fragrances, Opium and Shalimar, have also become popular classics.
Martinez believes packaging is vital. "The bottle says it all," she says. Women are attracted to the bottle, but after they test the perfume, their decision is based on the fragrance itself. And once they decide it's for them, "price isn't an issue." The selection process often requires testing several different choices before the right one is found. They get what they like and usually they select what's appropriate for them.
Fragrances will come and go, changing with time, but perfume, as it always has been, is a personal choice that expresses individuality.
No one expects that to change.
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