Boulder perfumer re-creates ancient Egyptian fragrances for the King Tut show
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Perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of Boulder has re-created the fragrances of ancient Egypt in conjunction with the ” Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” exhibit at the Denver Art Museum for its gift shop.
Hurwitz researched those ancient scents through books at The British Museum in London, works from Egyptian archaeologists and some amateur Egyptologists.
The top seller is Cardamom and Khyphi, which Hurwitz says is probably the most famous perfume that comes from ancient Egypt. It started as incense with ingredients such as juniper berry, myrrh gum and frankincense gum, she says. Add a few other items, mash it, boil it for 21 days and, voilu, you get perfume.
Luckily, modern practice is quicker. Hurwitz buys her oils and aromatics from growers and distillers worldwide. After sampling the smells, she begins to mix the notes. Like music, perfume is broken down into notes. The top notes are scents you smell immediately after putting on the perfume. The middle notes emerge when the top notes start to fade away. That leaves the base notes, which are the main themes of the perfume.
Excerpted from an article by Sara Padorr for denverpost.com
Click here for a list of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’ creations for the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museum
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