The Fragrant Past

By Giuseppe Donato

The sacred nature of perfumes, ointments, and incense is characteristic of rite and ritual in all ancient civilizations. Ancient and biblical literatures are filled with references to frankincense, spikenard, saffron calamus, cinnamon, myrrh, and aloe. The highly sophisticated art of making perfumes developed at the zenith of Greek civilization influenced the Romans, and by the first centuries of the Roman Empire, the Mediterranean peoples had reached an extraordinary level of olfactory culture. The Fragrant Past recreates this sensual refinement in its evocation of seven Roman fragrances reproduced by Giuseppe Donato from evidence discovered at the remains of Cleopatra's own cosmetic workshop. The twenty-two masterworks in this exhibition--loaned to Emory University Museum by the Museo Nazionale Romano--include some of the most significant Roman portrait sculptures known. In the exhibition catalog, each portrait is first presented in a striking full-color photograph, and then detailed in four different perspectives in black and white photographs, accompanied by a detailed scholarly description. Two historical essays by the authors place the magnificent sculptures in the context of Roman society and relate whatever information survives about their discovery. This beautifully illustrated volume provides detailed descriptions of ancient ingredients, and explains the intricate and various uses of scent in Roman daily life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0963816934
• ISBN13: 9780963816931
• Release Date: December 1989
• Publisher: Pennsylvania University Press
• Length: 61 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 9.5"