When auction houses such as Drouot in Paris and Sotheby’s in New York featured extremely sought-after perfume containers that ranged from as high as $20,000, one became certain that a woman could well have a lucrative future with perfume.
Scents have enhanced the flavor of food since prehistoric times through the burning of sweet-smelling oils and wood. The ancient Egyptians honored their gods by means of incense, ointment and fragrant oils. The ancient Romans once believed that perfumes possess medicinal properties. During the 12th century, Christians associated perfumes with elegance and hygiene (against the plague and bad odor).
As the use of perfume evolved, so has its container. From Roman terra-cotta jugs for aromatic oils, to scented ointments that stored in alabaster pots, to "incense arm" (made of wood or bronze with a small cup supported by a hand at one end) used by ancient Egyptians. Pomander, a container designed to hold fragrant substances, was made of metal shaped like a globe with six compartments. This was used during the Middle Ages. These containers are more valuable now than the perfume emperors, pharaohs, kings, queens and other nobles bathed in and dabbed themselves with. Collectors and major perfume makers purchase old containers to recover a part of perfumery’s history.
Today, perfumes are more popular than ever and have become must-haves. They are used just to disguise noxious odors but they have become an accessory – the final touch of a woman’s wardrobe – to decorate her boudoir and who knows, to become a great and fashionable investment!
Here are the latest perfumes sure to suit any mood you’re in and some limited edition bottles worth getting your hands on.
(For more of your suggestions and inquiries, e-mail me at jenniepperson@hotmail.com)