Impact Of Perfumes On The Evolution Of Man

By Perla M James


Perfume has very ancient origins. The first recorded use was several thousand years ago. Egyptians were the first to use it. It was later adopted by the Arabs, Chinese and the Romans. The origin of the word Perfume is form the Latin language; per meaning through and fumus means smoke. Myrrh and Frankincense were the earliest such fine fragrance that was burnt especially during the religious ceremonies and other festivals. Perfumed oils were also used as applications for cosmetic and medicinal uses. Greeks and Romans thus developed a liking for bathing in scented water.

The first modern perfume was introduced in 1370 by request of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary. The new scent was known all over Europe as Hungary Water. Perfume in England rose in popularity during the Tudor period. Queen Elizabeth I couldn't stand the foul smell of public places and had them doused in perfume.

During the start of the 17 Century Perfumes started finding acceptance in France. Perfumed gloves were responsible for the constitution of the Guild of Glove-and-Perfume Makers in 1656. Louis XV was so obsessed with fragrances that he used to apply them not only to his clothes and skin but also to the furniture and furnishings around him.

In the next century, Perfume developed further. A new and fresh fragrance Eau-de-Cologne was invented by the Italian Giovanni Farina. It was citrus oil mixed in alcohol and he named it after the home town he adopted. It remained the mainstay of the wealthy due to its expensiveness.

The bottles of the fragrances and fine fragrances were as important as the fragrances themselves. At the start, the bottles were of clay and of stone. Towards the turnoff the century the containers began to be made of metal or of glass. The scent deteriorated when it came in contact with air and also light. So, it was important to keep them secure form these. Glass with had been manufactured by man since 4000 B. C. Only became the popular material for bottles after the 18 Century. It is said that Louis XIV made glass fragrance containers shaped like pears.

In 19C perfume changed again as chemist's took over where alchemist's left off. New techniques and changing tastes laid the foundations of perfume as we know it in 20C. Perfume became a fashion statement in America during 1920's, design houses had their own chemists producing their own scent. Today there are 10's of thousands of designer fragrances on the market and every celebrity has their own scent. Today fine fragrance is a billion dollar industry and everybody has their own favourite.




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