Silver and Frankincense

Scent in Arab adornment shapes rituals, fashion, and social meaning across history.

Although scent has always played a major role in personal adornment in the Arab world, its evanescent quality leaves very few or no traces at all over time. This book presents an introduction into this lesser known aspect of personal adornment in the Arab world. Starting from a historic background, it explores the uses of scent in personal appearance such as jewellery, hairstyles and make-up, but also its purpose in religious, ritual and social context. The book is illustrated with many examples such as beautiful silver perfume containers, sumptuously scented paste beads and fragrant clove necklaces.