Research for later
Reposting this link so I can find it later:
A Whiff of History"
Specifically: When McHugh was completing his dissertation in Sanskrit and Indian studies at Harvard, he encountered a wealth of olfactory information in ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts: detailed formulas of perfumes and incenses and instructions for their use, as well as descriptions of odors in everyday life. McHugh became interested in “turning these lists of words into a thing,” he says, and attracted the interest of Laudamiel, resulting in a series of fragrances based on these ancient formulas.
In some cases, Laudamiel took imaginative liberties. McHugh says that the texts, which were mostly written by wealthy Brahmins, mentioned certain smells in a positive way and others in a negative way. Laudamiel used these descriptions to create two scents that represented a Brahmin’s ideal - clarified butter, milk, mango blossoms, honey, and sandalwood - and his worst nightmare - smoke, rotting flesh, alcohol, and garlic.
A Whiff of History"
Specifically: When McHugh was completing his dissertation in Sanskrit and Indian studies at Harvard, he encountered a wealth of olfactory information in ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts: detailed formulas of perfumes and incenses and instructions for their use, as well as descriptions of odors in everyday life. McHugh became interested in “turning these lists of words into a thing,” he says, and attracted the interest of Laudamiel, resulting in a series of fragrances based on these ancient formulas.
In some cases, Laudamiel took imaginative liberties. McHugh says that the texts, which were mostly written by wealthy Brahmins, mentioned certain smells in a positive way and others in a negative way. Laudamiel used these descriptions to create two scents that represented a Brahmin’s ideal - clarified butter, milk, mango blossoms, honey, and sandalwood - and his worst nightmare - smoke, rotting flesh, alcohol, and garlic.