Perfums

Perfume is thousands of years old - the word "perfume" comes from the Latin per fume "through smoke". One of the oldest uses of perfumes comes form the burning of incense and aromatic herbs used in religious services, often the aromatic gums, frankincense and myrrh, gathered from trees. The Egyptians were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus,Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. The earliest use of perfume bottles is Egyptian and dates to around 1000 BC. The Egyptians invented glass and perfume bottles were one of the first common uses for glass.
Time Line of Perfume History
The American Society of Perfume Makers have created a perfumery time line covering the major events in perfume history.
A Brief History ofPerfume
This is a brief guide to the history of fragrance use and manufacture.
A View of the World of Perfume
Good history page that discusses making perfumes, modern perfumes and more.
A History of Fragrance
Exerpt taken from the book "Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art"
History of Perfume
The history of perfume and famous perfumers: Jean-Baptiste, Grenouille, Francois, Coty.Perfumes for the Period Scent
At the bottom of this page is a a useful chronology of when different scents were introduced.
13th Century Perfumery
The use of native aromatic herbs and flowers to sweeten the air had been known for a very long time.
Beauty Innovations
The history of hair dryers, ironing curlers and other beauty appliances. The history of cosmetics and hair products.

Theword perfume comes from the Latin phrase, "per" meaning "through" and "fumus" meaning smoke." The French later gave the name parfum to the pleasant smells that drift through the air from burning incense. There are few periods of history that have not been influenced by perfume. The history of perfume is often intertwined with the history of the human race. | | |
| | The first form of perfumewas incense. Incense was first discovered by the Mesopotamians about 4,000 years ago. Ancient cultures burned many kinds of resins, bums and woods at their religious ceremonies. They often soaked the fragrant woods and resins in water and oil, and rubbed their bodies with the liquid. They also embalmed the dead with these perfumes. |

We have learned from hieroglyphics on ancient Egyptian tombsthat perfume played a part in the lives of the Egyptians. Incense made its way to Egypt around 3000 B.C. and with Queen Hatshepsut, it became very popular. She led expeditions in search of incense and other valuable commodities, and the results of which were later recorded on the walls of a temple created in her honor. In the temple was a botanical garden filled with incense trees recovered fromthese expeditions. Perfumes were found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. It is probable that the use of aromatics in mystic rites predated the burning of incense and sweet herbs in religious ceremonies.
Until the beginning of Egypt's Golden Age, perfumes were used only in ritual for gods or pharaohs. Perfume was held in high esteem in Biblical times and there is frequent mention of fragrance inthe Bible. In the New Testament, the three wise men carried gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus. Long before, Moses was commanded by the Lord to "take unto thee sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum...with pure frankincense...And thou shalt make it a perfume." | | |

Frankincense is probably still the best known of the plants alluded to in the Bible. Burningincense was the privilege of priests in the earliest civilizations. The custom is still in use today in Catholic and High Episcopal churches.Incense, aromatics, and perfumed oil became available to all Egyptians as the priests gradually relinquished their exclusive rights. Citizens were commanded to perfume themselves at least once a week. The Egyptians, fastidious in their personal habits, took...