The Story Behind Night Star - An altered aromatic sensation based on an exact copy of the aroma of what we called "Rosa Maris"- the rose of the sea; inspired by foundings from German perfumer Adolphe Saalfeld's bag of perfumes that had been found in the debris field of Titanic. A central theme of the composition is rose - The Rose Jacqueminot.
Scents of Time as a Company started when we originally contacted RMS Titanic in Atlanta after reading in January 2001 that a complete bag of perfumes had been found in the debris field of Titanic and that when the submersible placed the bag on the mother ship it literally smelled of roses! The bag's story is as follows:
The Story Behind Nenufar - "Take to thee Lotus flowers and plants and Lotus buds when they recur as every bloom and every herb of sweet odor at its season; cool water and incense, joints and offering requirement in full tale, that thy Ka may be satisfied with them for ever and ever." Tomb of Aahmose; Pharaonic Egypt
THE NAME OF THE FRAGRANCE
Nenufares are aquatic plants, one family of which is the Nymphaeaceae, and one member within it is the Blue water lily, Nymphaea caerulea which is the basis for the fragrance.
The Story Behind Maya - The word Chocolate has an Aztec derivation, and indeed when Emperor Montezuma wanted the sixteenth century equivalent of a slush ice he sent runners to the volcanic mountain-top of Popacatapetl, near the Aztec capital city Tenochtitlan, to collect snow. This was sprinkled liberally with cocoa and vanilla to create a cooling tasty treat fit for a King. 'Xocolatl' - a bitter frothy drink made with chocolate, was also beloved by the Aztec ruler. Most of the world's cocoa, from which chocolate is derived, is grown in a narrow belt 10 degrees either side of the Equator, and includes now, as well as South America,West Africa Malaysia and Indonesia.
The Story Behind Pyxis - In the House of the Vetti at Pompeii there are a number of frescos depicting various industries with young cupids (also called erotes or cherubims) at work. One of the frescos clearly demonstrates the art of making perfume, depicting a pose of a woman testing the fragrance on completion. That was the perfume we wished to recreate, and in its honor we named it Pyxis, recalling the little Pixies (or Piskys) which made the original, and gave the inspiration to perfumer Sperato. The "Py" suffix also means fire (as in pyromancer, or pyrotechnics...) and is appropriate for a fragrance born again from a fiery volcanic burial.
The Story Behind Ankh - The Ankh symbol was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that stood for "life". The gods of Egypt were often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest. Its other names include the Egyptian Cross, the key of life, or "handled cross" from the Latin crux ansata.
Ankh is based on the known formula of Kyphi, the thrice-burnt incense of Egypt. It was fired at dawn to welcome the sun God Amen, at midday to mark its highest point and at eventide to remind the sun god to return.