A tribute to the Orient and its civilization of perfumes can be discovered at the Institute of the Arab World. Oriental perfumes is an exhibition enriched with olfactory devices to discover the raw materials, landscapes and cultural practices that make oriental perfumes.
Visit the exhibition Oriental perfumes, it is first of all to be immersed in a landscape. From the tree fields of the Arabian Peninsula to the subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, perfumes and the Arab world have long been a happy marriage.
“ Originally, there is myrrh and there is frankincense, which are truly Arab raw materials, because they only grow in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, so it is really the basis of perfumery. oriental, says Agnès Carayon, one of the curators of the exhibition. These are trees which are incised and which produce tears which will dry, so they are resins. But there are also raw materials that come from Asia, such as musk or oud wood, which also proves that there have been exchanges of very ancient olfactory materials. There are also flowers, the rose being probably the most emblematic flower, but all kinds of flowers are used to make perfumes. »
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A sensory journey through the Orient
Thirty odors can be smelled: jasmine flower, saffron, but also complex animal materials like ambergris. The exhibition route is designed as a stroll. “ The visitor will enter the city: in the perfumers’ souk, in the public bath – the hammam – or in the place where people go to pray. Then, the visitor will cross the house and we will talk to him about the customs around the reception of friends where we will wave fragrant smoke under the visitor – burning incense – or we can also sprinkle him with flower water. We’re going to talk about cooking smells too, because the raw materials are often the same. And then the sensual dimension of perfumes, so the very last part, the most intimate part », Develops Agnès Carayon.
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Perfume, anchored in tales
Refinement is also expressed in old pieces, such as this small rock crystal bottle from the Fatimid era in the 10th century, which dialogues with contemporary works, such as this spice carpet signed Laurent Maréchal made in situwhich perfectly imitates a fragrant cement tile floor. Oriental perfumes evokes the tales of the Arabian Nights: “ Arab-Muslim civilization is a civilization that is also very sensual, where the pleasures of men are much emphasized. So, we have a whole literature, and in particular an erotic work called The fragrant garden of Cheikh Nefzaoui, where he describes how to receive his lover, saying that one must diffuse incense, perfume with rose water. In The Thousand and One Nights, there are many romantic encounters. They are all preceded by perfume purchases. »
The great perfumer Christopher Sheldrake perfumed the exhibition of the Institute of the Arab World. When leaving the premises, visitors will be able to perfume the palm of their wrist with a special creation entitled Alcove secret.
► Oriental perfumesan exhibition to see and feel atArab World Institute in Paris until March 17, 2024.