The Holy Tears: Frankincense

I am starting to run out of strange animal parts so I will continue on the resin-incense-path tonight with frankincense, also known as olibanum. Also known as the incense of incenses.

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11)

Frankincence is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes. It comes from Boswellia trees. Four types species of Boswellia are used and each of them give a resin with variation depending on tree-type, soil, climate and time of harvesting. Boswellia thrive in arid, cool areas of the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and India. The finest type is Boswellia sacra, which grows in Somalia, Oman and Yemen. To obtain the resin you cut the bark of the tree which then starts to bleed a fluid that hardens. The hardened resin is called tears.

Frankincense trees are true survivors. They can grow in very demanding conditions, sometimes directly on solid rock in stormy areas. The rougher the conditions, the stronger the aroma. The trees have to be 8-10 years old to produce resin. It seems that there is a declining amount of frankincense trees, partly because of over-exploitation but also as a consequence of beetle attacks. The predictions are quite sad unfortunately so it might be a good idea to stock up on essential oils.

Frankincense is the incense of incenses, and appears in both Bible and Talmud. According to the gospel of Matthew 2:11, gold, frankincense, and myrrh were among the gifts to Jesus from the wise men. It has been used for a very long time, for example it is known that frankincense has been traded on the Arabian Peninsula and in North Africa for more than 5000 years. At that time it was known as olibanum. This name is likely to be derived from the Arabic al-lubān which is a reference to the resin being “milked” from the tree. 

Henry Siddons Mowbray

If you should have the fortune to visit Oman, you can go to the excavation of Ubar, a trade center along the "Incense Road", that was rediscovered in the early 1990s.

Frankincense has a sweet, warm, balsamic aroma that is stimulating to the mind. The scent uplifts, calms and comforts and is therefore a natural choice for religious and spiritual ceremonies and for meditation. The tree itself is a symbol of life and carries cultural and historical significance. In Ayurvedic medicine Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata), also known as "dhoop," has been used for hundreds of years for treating arthritis, healing wounds, strengthening the female hormone system, and purifying the atmosphere from undesirable germs. In Indian culture, it is suggested that burning frankincense daily in the house brings good health.

I think frankincense is a good example of our olfactory memories and identities, not as individuals, but as humans. We have used the same olfactory symbols for thousands of years, and we use them to worship in different religions. Scent is cultural, but also trans-cultural. Scents repel, and connect. Scents, like you, like me, are not arbitrary. Being aware of this makes the search for fragrances even more special and full of mysteries, symbols and stories, does it not?

If you are interested in going on a frankincense perfume exploration, here are some suggestions.

Prada Infusion d'Iris 

By Kilian Back to Black 

Tom Ford Amber Absolut, Tuscan Leather and White Suede

Opoponax - from monastery to Meisel

Opoponax, also known as sweet myrrh, grows in particular in Iran, Italy, Greece, Turkey and in Somalia. The herb grows one-third meter to one meter in height. A resin is extracted from the stem by making an incision. The resin is drinkable in liquid but has a bitter taste, and the odor of the fresh resin is supposedly also quite unpleasant. The resin hardens when exposed to air and creates little dried pieces, which is how it is most commonly sold. And here is where the story starts getting more olfactory interesting and pleasant: the dried resin is inflammable and if burned as incense it gives a woody balsamic smell that has been a part of spiritual ceremonies for many, many, many years.  The name opoponax, sometimes spelled opopanax, has its origin in the Ancient Greek word for vegetable juice and healing. 

Photo: getreligion.org

Another olfactive reason to return to A'dam

Laboratorio Olfattivo. (That sound you heard was my heart going *boom* *boom*). Yes, of course you can get these elsewhere. But you can also get them in Amsterdam, at Louis Maximilian, a new store in Haarlemmerdijk where you can get nice soft sweaters, men's bracelets, Prada jewellery and Marvis. And in Amsterdam you can also get and do an infinite lot of other different really nice Amsterdamish things. And visit this store that seems very nice.

Louis Maximilian also have a really nice blog where you can read a little bit about about Laboratorio Olfattivo. Nice things just somehow always find eachother. Just like people, and scents.

You can read a lot about Laboratorio Olfattivo (yes, same sound) here.

Iris

Gjorde ett radikalt doftäventyr för ett tag sen. Radikalt i det här fallet innebär att min hylla är den som doftar amber och kryddor och vanilj och allmänt sammet.

För mig är denna doft totalt unisex. Jag tycker den doftar nyduschad man-med-kostym och lite, well, hud. Tror inte det var intentionen från house of Prada som släppte doften 2007. Vad tycker du?

Nose: Daniela Andrier. Född i Heidelberg, studerade filosofi på Sorbonne innan hon valde parfymens värld. Började på Chanel som trainee. Har en rad italienska modehus dofter på sitt CV (Armani, Gucci, La Perla m fl) - och så en miljard Prada-dofter. En Guerlain (Angelique Noire). Jag har en särskild vördnad för alla som skapat en doft för Guerlain. 2011 verkar vara ett starkt år för madame Andrier: Prada No. 11 Cuir Styrax, Untitled L'Eau för Maison Martin Margiela, Prada Candy och Prada Infusion de Rose har alla lanserats i år.

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Had a radical fragrance adventure recently. Radical in this case, means that my normal range is the one that smells of amber, spices, vanilla and generally velvety things. Told a Mr H about my spontaneous reaction to the experience and he thought it was entertaining so I'll share it with you.

"I smelled more or less like some stock market finance guy putting on a never before worn shirt just after a shower and morning pre-work-sex in random skyscraper metropolis".

For me, this fragrance is totally unisex. Don't think however that was the intention from the house of Prada, which released it in 2007. What do you think?

Nose: Daniela Andries. Born in Heidelberg, studied philosophy at the Sorbonne (you gotta love that) before she chose the perfume world. Joined Chanel as a trainee. Has a range of Italian fashion house smells on her CV (Armani, Gucci, La Perla and others) - and a billion Prada fragrances. A Guerlain (Angelique Noire). I have a special reverence for all that have created a fragrance for Guerlain. 2011 seems to be a strong year for Madame Andries: Prada No. 11 Cuir Styrax, Untitled L'Eau for Maison Martin Margiela, Prada Candy and Prada Infusion de Rose have all been launched this year.