The Development Of Perfume

Perfume has been around for an awfully long time, most of human history in fact. The history of perfume goes back to ancient times. Stories and artefacts detailing the production and use of perfumes has been found in many cultures, from Mesopotamia to Ancient Egypt. The art of perfume production has evolved throughout history, with the essential purpose of masking bad odours caused by poor standards of hygiene. We know that perfume was considered important, because it was treated with reverence and respect through the use of special and often elaborate perfume bottles. Perfume bottles have come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and many people collect old perfume bottles for their aesthetic beauty and leftover scent.

One of the best collections of old perfume bottles is housed at the Museu del Perfum (or The Perfume Museum) in Barcelona, Spain. Some of the perfume bottles kept here date back as far as 5000 BC. Some are archeologically important and there are many unique items. It’s a great place to visit for people who collect perfume bottles and simply those who value their majesty.

Ancient civilisations of Egypt, China and Greece all burnt spices for their aroma, and Indians were some of the first to extract essence from flower petals, while Ancient Romans immersed petals in oil to create a liquid with a strong floral aroma. Despite its early origins, what we today called perfume only became truly popular in the 13^th century. The affluent in Western Europe gained a love of floral perfume from Southern France, and eventually this spread to less privileged people in society, especially in France.

France was the centre of perfume production, and it was growing in popularity all over the world. Soon came fashionable perfume boutiques selling scents to people all over Europe. Some perfumes gained legendary status and were produced and sold for decades, while others remained limited runs and vanished. It was soon recognised that perfume was as fashionable as clothes or food, with many people agreeing that aroma is as important as appearance.

In the past there were more runs of different fragrances being sold in a number of different marketplaces, while today we see fewer varieties being sold in every shop or store. There is some interest in unique, vintage perfume and there are a number of old-style perfume boutiques springing up selling vintage fragrance for discerning customers. It seems safe to say that perfume will remain important to people for many years to come.

Adam Cairn writes on a number of subjects including perfumes for women.