The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance [Hardcover]

The world of perfumes is a universe all its own, and Aftels book is a colorful, authoritative guide. . . A beautiful book about beautiful things, with a fascinating narrative told by an author who loves her subject. Leafing through Aftels stunning compilation of olfactory magic is like being gifted a book of secrets. . . . Its filled with a bevy of perfume knowledge thats been meticulously collected over time. Looking over Aftels life work, one is inclined to believe anything she has to say about smells. The book is a codex in the truest sense, but it is also a kind of cabinet of curiosities that encompasses elements of Aftels research, related ephemera, the history of natural botanicals, animal-based musks, artisanal production, scent combinations, and much more. Connected to culture, nature, food, history, trade, and the simple fact of breathing, it seems like scent might be among the most shared of human experiences. This work . . . is a true originala rarest of rare legacy volume. This book was created by a beautiful elder who is a polymath: meaning, a highly unique person of multiple modern and old ways of knowing. . . . Mandy Aftels Opening up this book is like opening up a whole new room in your imagination you didnt quite realize existedeven if you never thought you were interested in perfume. Its gorgeous to look at and gorgeous to read, bristling with details and wild histories. Its a book to pick up again and againwhether you land on a page about onycha shells, shiso, or honeysuckle, youre swept into a dreamy worlda cabinet of curiosities for the senses thats both exquisite and endlessly surprising. In From the queen of artisan perfumers, a delightful introduction to the universe of scent and scented materials. Aromatics leap off the page in all their singularity, accompanied by astounding images and fascinating context. In book form as much as in real life, Aftel's carefully curated collection presents a whole that is revelatory in ela