History of Potpourri
The word potpourri comes from the French, and translates literally
to "rotten pot". This translation refers to the ancient potpourris that were
made by layering partially dried rose petals with salt to produce a caked
base that was then cured with fixatives and spices.
References to potpourri recipes and functions can be found in the writings of
almost every culture and time period. Desert dwellers in biblical times reputedly
kept small bags of potpourri folded into their garments to keep insects
from biting them while they slept. The Greeks placed small muslin bags of potpourri
behind every guest at banquets, and the early Egyptians buried their dead with potpourri.
Monks in medieval monasteries kept potpourri bags near the infirmary to speed the recoveries
of their patients.
In the societies that followed, fragrance came to signify class
and wealth. Each member of royalty had his or her own favorite potpourri: Louis XIV
preferred a combination of nutmeg, jasmine, orange flowers, and cloves, while Queen
Isabella of Spain preferred rose leaves, calamus, orris flowers, and coriander.
Once a family had created a personal potpourri recipe, everything from bed sheets
to clothing to candles to jewelery, soap and writing inks would be saturated
with that fragrance. A family's fragrance was almost as important as it's crest,
and homes in 16th century England were often built with a "stillroom" where
fragrant flowers and herbs from the garden were hung to dry and then mixed
into potpourris and bouquets.
While the art of creating family fragrances in a stillroom may have
disappeared, one could easily argue that fragrance is every bit as valued
today as it was in the 16th century.
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