MAKING SCENTS - Carl Henkel GmbH

Almost every culture and civilization has used fragrancesfor improving the quality of air in homes and publicspaces.The ancient Egyptians were one of the first major cultures tomake use of fragrance in their religious and secular lives. Kyphi,a sacred scent composed of herbs and resins, was widely usedin homes.The "gimbal" or perfume-burner originated in China in about100 BC and was considered an indispensable accessory. Dryperfume sachets, probably a potpourri of fragrant flowersand herbs, were used in almost every household. It is knownthat Persians were experts at preserving flowers. Rose budswere placed in earthenware jars, sealed and buried. Theywere removed and opened to scent apartments for specialoccasions.Early Hindu vapor rooms were used not only to soften the skinbut also to induce a desirable frame of mind. The fragrancewas produced by the pouring of oils and herbs into pots ofboiling water. The Greeks placed perfume boxes in their dininghalls and in ancient Rome environmental fragrance deviceswere built into the walls and floors. It is also assumed thatdifferent rooms and public buildings were scented with specificscents to enhance a room’s activities. As an example, thedining rooms were lined with moveable ivory plates concealingsilver pipes that sprinkled fragrant essences on guests. In Japanthe use of incenses spread to the home in the 8th centurywhen aristocrats began fumigating rooms and impregnatingclothing with scent.Fragrance truly blossomed in France under the reign ofLouis XIV. At Versailles he built a pavilion filled with the mostfragrant flowers available, including tuberose, orange blossomand jasmine. Today France is still creating some of the mostremarkable scents in the world.At SERENE HOUSE we are committed to using our knowledgeof the history of fragrances in order to help balance a hecticcontemporary lifestyle. We are pioneers at bringing an airof nature to modern life. The historical heritage of Chineseperfume burners, early Indian vapor rooms and environmentalfragrance devices from Rome has inspired Serene House tocreate innovative tech-nologies and contemporary designsthat will bring soothing fragrances to your home.Nature's scents are now right at your fingertips!