The Middle Ages considered odors as medicines and the use of spices, herbs and fragrant woods acted as so many weapons against miasma of all kinds and even, as it was believed then, against deadly epidemics. If this prophylactic use remains to a certain extent, the Age of Enlightenment refers the appreciation of odors more to the subtle art of magnifying or accommodating perfumes. While the interior layout favors small comfortable rooms rather than the icy and ostentatious ones of the previous century, the 18th century multiplies the number of small objects devoted to the use of perfumes, in all sorts of forms and sometimes combined with lighting elements.
In the most elegant interiors, cassolettes, potpourri or scented water fountains subtly perfume the indoor air. Recipes for potpourri or fumigation tablets which, once ignited, give off delicate fragrances, are made by perfumers and housewives. As for the biggest brands today, the olfactory signature of an interior acts as the transcription of the character of the masters of the place: subtlety is required, the notes must be harmonious. Undoubtedly much more intransigent than sight, which can be deceived by finery, the sense of smell is implacable and the judgment of scents can be cruel if it displeases the sensitivity of noble noses…
Not content with grabbing attention without us being able to escape it, home fragrances also give a new place to the objects that diffuse them. Thus, cassolettes and perfume burners become mantelpieces, alongside vases and clocks. The covered urns are the subject of fanciful compositions as evidenced by the numerous deliveries to the Marquise de Pompadour. The refinement of the materials, the delicacy of the bronzes and the porcelains let one imagines the skilful perfumes that these objects contained. However, odorants do not always have a container specifically assigned to them.
Cassolettes sometimes contain scented water or macerations of flowers, spices and salt which are then potpourri. As for the latter, they give their name to the object that contains them: a small box pierced with holes called “eyes”.
More generally, openwork perfume vases receive both fragrant macerations and fumigation tablets. In addition, the salt and humidity of the potpourri oxidized the metals and clogged the porcelains, thus requiring frequent cleaning, which was also the case for the fumigation tablets.
Sometimes, the linings that still exist allow to get an idea of what the object may have contained and are essential for protecting precious materials such as lacquers or vernis Martin.
The 19th Century and the Proliferation of Perfume Vases
Not only does the 18th century appreciate delicate and floral scents, but it also likes fresh flowers! The lounges open onto gardens generously planted with flowers and fragrant plants and it is their motifs that can be found in porcelain, gilded bronze or earthenware, even on the vases which intend to diffuse a perfume as subtle as that of Mother Nature. This taste did not weaken after the Revolution – is it necessary to say that one of the most beautiful greenhouses in Europe at that time was that of Joséphine at the Petite Malmaison? – and the antique forms already appreciated in the previous century now take the lion’s share. If Napoleon Bonaparte’s aversion to heady perfumes is very well known (he only tolerated the citrus scents of his eau de Cologne), he must have suffered from the taste of his contemporaries for skilfully scented interiors. Fashion will not pass after the fall of the Empire.
The Restoration and the entire 19th century fueled and enriched the attention paid to perfumes. The Industrial Revolution intensified olfactory pollution and in the urban apartments, the remugles were dimmed as best as possible by potpourri. By craze or by necessity, the lady worthy of the name acquires books dedicated to the making of interior perfumes. Thus Madame Gacon-Dufour’s Perfumer’s Manual published in 1825 has something to seduce since it offers
“the means of making fragrant pastes, powders of various kinds […] scented waters, vinegars, […] odorous pastilles, sachets for baths.”
The diversity of potions lets imagine the plethora of containers that offered to diffuse them in the 19th century. Industrialization plays its part, of course, and there are many cassolettes and incense burners, vases and potpourri that are mass-produced in materials accessible to the greatest number, such as brass, pewter, ceramics and even opaline. The Japonism of the second half – and especially of the end of the 19th century – also saw the proliferation of objects in cloisonné enamel, imported from China, which produced them especially for Europe. Japan is not to be outdone and Asian incense burners are still found today in different qualities, from mid-range to more polished pieces such as this one:
If the taste for home fragrances did not wane in the 20th century, it gradually abandoned the objects that usually accompanied them as improvements in the industry made home fragrances evolve towards diffusers or candles with sophisticated fragrances. Perhaps only potpourri stands out for its ease of composition and long-lasting fragrance. Many recipes and tips are now easily accessible on the internet; an excellent reason to acquire a beautiful antique worthy of your perfumed creation… This is an elegant way to bring the delicate subtleties of the 18th century back to life at home!
Marielle Brie
Art Historian for Art Market and Cultural Media
Author of the blog Objets d’Art et d’Histoire
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