The Sweet Seduction of Perfume Flasks

The first recorded use of perfume was by the ancient Egyptians and it was further refined by the Romans after being brought there by Cleopatra. In fact, during her reign, Cleopatra found many creative applications for the aphrodisiac beyond the typical applications of incense and unctures.  Returning from her nation-building campaign in Rome upon Caesar’s death and preparing to face Marc Antony, it is said that she had the sails of her ship doused in her signature scent to intoxicate and seduce him before even setting a foot on land.

While scientists debate the effectiveness of aphrodisiacs, there is no denying the ability of a particular aroma to recall a memory or moment in time, and there is hard science to support this phenomenon. We experience scents through the olfactory bulb in our brain, a part of the limbic system, which is the brain’s emotional center. This limbic system also controls our behavior, mood, and memory, intrinsically linking all three to our experience of aromas.

Whether you believe them to be aphrodisiacs or not, perfume’s close ties to our memories mean an inherent link to our emotions. Carry remnants of your favorite moments in time around with you in our historic perfume flasks.

Choose a light floral essence reminiscent of your wedding day bouquet to carry around in our Edwardian enamel perfume flask decorated with forget-me-nots, roses, and birds.

Or perhaps a musky clove, vanilla, and cinnamon scent, a mixture favored by the matron of yet another empire, Napoleon’s Josephine, in our Victorian Opal and Garnet with regal scroll repousse work in gold.

You can also create a wholly custom aroma to fill our vintage geometric perfume flask with the help of a certified herbal alchemist like Julianne Zaleta who consults and creates handcrafted, fully customized, natural aromas for her clients from her Brooklyn atelier.  

Is there a specific aroma that reminds you of an important moment in your history? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.