We often hear bibliophiles raving about this “smell of old bookstores”, but until now, most art lovers had no way to live out their passion in an olfactory way. Museums tend to discourage visitors from getting close enough to paintings to take a deep breath, but what about those of us who want to – no, duty — feel the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
This week’s news is really good, as announced by the perfume company Pura a collaboration with the Met, presenting a line of six fragrances intended to encourage an extra-sensory experience of art across time and culture. A press release about the new scents says the scents offer “a whole new way to experience The Met’s collection of 5,000 years of art.”
The line is both portable as a personal fragrance and compatible with Pura’s indoor diffusers, so now you can call your living room the Egyptian Wing. The six scents are available individually or in sets of two; for example, “Blue Water Lotus”, inspired by the lotus flowers represented in the sculptures of the temple of Dendur, is associated with “Egyptian Sandalwood”, a musky and woody fragrance. There is also “Bamboo Forest”, which seeks to capture the essence of the Ming Dynasty Astor Chinese Garden with fresh notes of bamboo, orchid and plum blossom, combined with “Spiced Woods”, which “is inspired by a serene mountain retreat”. Finally, “Terracotta Rose” is an earthy fragrance that evokes the work of Greek artisans, with salty and mineral notes under a flowery layering, and is associated with “Parfum Immortelle”, which seeks to elevate the dedication of Roman artisans to detail, to movement, and humanity.
And yet, this collaboration may not go far enough. What other scents from the museum could an enterprising perfumer seek to capture? There’s “Fancy Decanter”, which could just be tap water, but presented in bottles that mimic some of the vintage vases from the collection. Or how about “Post-Ambergris”, which is a tribute to the now outrageous perfume ingredient made from sperm whale bile (and also used to make several items from the collection!)”The unicorn fights back”, inspired by Unicorn Tapestries (1495-1505), could be a whimsical mix of funfetti cake batter, blood and a hint of manure. And of course we could have “Volunteer Docent”, which is a proprietary blend of Bengay cream and white diamonds.
But really, while the notion of an art scent sounds slightly heady, it’s perhaps no more silly than all the other lengths we go to bring home the timeless beauty of a museum collection in the form a postcard, an art book or a lapel pin.
“Art has the power to connect and transport people across time and space,” said Met Partnerships Manager Josh Romm. “This program provides a new and exciting opportunity for The Met fans to experience art, history and world cultures from the comfort of their own homes.”
