NO! DON'T send me your empty perfume bottles, PLEASE! That's not what I
mean. Rather this:
"All the perfumes of Arabia" is not just a fragrant saying: it is a true
statement of the ambiance of this mystical place. The Arabs are fond of
fragrances, and everywhere one goes, these scents are to be found.
In the Arab home, it is customary to burn incense—incessantly. Sandalwood
chips smolder atop of a small heap of coals in special incense burners. The aroma is pungent, yet
hauntingly pleasant. There are
several grades of the wood available, the best producing the strongest and
longest-lasting scents. These can be very costly—hundreds of dollars per
mere few grams.
The fragrance of sandalwood is a token of a heartfelt welcome to the
visitor. It is customary, for womenfolk in particular, upon arrival and
before departing, to stop in front of the incense burner and fan their
abayas (the black, thin cloak worn on top of all other clothing)
over the haze, thus letting the scent permeate their clothes. This
is the peculiar smell that seems to have settled in the shopping bazaars
all over Arabia. At first it can be a little disagreeable, but it has a
way of growing on one, and it is always a welcome aspect on our fascinating
furloughs to the Arab souqs.
So, what about the perfume bottles? Another fascinating aspect of scent
sniffing here in Arabia is being able to make your own perfume from a wide
variety of essential oils. Sandalwood and musk are the most popular. It
is these oils then that are placed in the perfume bottles and taken home
or given as precious presents. The bottles are typical of this region,
made either in Egypt, Turkey or Iran. They are made of crystal, either
colored or clear, and decorated with etching, goldleafing and/or cutting.
They come in an amazing scale of sizes. I have one that is 18" tall, but
I have seen them even larger, and one that is a mere 2" tall—I have not
seen any smaller. They are readily availabe here, so much so that it is
easy to become tired of seeing them. But not of collecting them! There is
always ONE that is more precious than another, and simply MUST be added to
the collection!
The bottles pictured here are from Egypt, Oman and Iran. They all have
generous goldleafing and some etching. The sizes vary from 6" to 16".
The bottle of perfume that Willy sent |
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Most recent revision: March 3, 2007