The Art of Design Issue 28 2017 | Page 205

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COLONIA MIRRA
Along the Via Sacra of perfumes
Even today myrrh is collected by hand from commiphora, a delicate
spiny shrub which grows in the warmest climes. Dense, perfumed
Muscat. At the hour of sunset, the streets and windows are dotted with drops are gathered from the trunk and from these the essential oil and
small coloured lanterns where incense and myrrh unleash their vibrant the resin are obtained. The laborious production of myrrh has made
aromas. From the capital of ancient Oman, since the third century it a specially sought-after and precious ingredient from the very dawn
before Christ, long caravans carried, through steep mountains, lowlands of perfumery. Its balsamic and embracing aroma gives an appealing
and endless deserts, their cargo of spices, fragrances and rare essences. complexity to the luminous transparency of Colonia which emerges
A slow and tireless crossing, until the kingdom of Saba, to Jordan and little by little, like the slow advance of a caravan in the desert.
the mythical road of the Wise Men. To then reach the Mediterranean
until arriving in Rome, where the highly prized Oriental resins were in The Italian style of Colonia is all in the transparent and citrusy
great demand, burnt during religious ceremonies. A long journey on opening note of mandarin orange, lemon and petitgrain, that acts as
the Via Sacra of perfumes. An adventure on the trails of the Orient from a counterpoint to a single heart where the delicate aromas of orange
which Colonia Mirra was born. blossom and the spicy accents of nutmeg merge with the warm scent of
the oil of myrrh. It is in the heart of this magnetic olfactory composition
Among the most sought-after essences of antiquity, often exchanged that the myrrh unveils its first facets. In a magnificent evolution, the base
for its weight in gold, myrrh has a history thousands of years old. The combines the enveloping notes of patchouli to the balsamic and amber
Egyptians used it for Kyphi, the perfume of the pharaohs. The Greeks notes of myrrh resin, revealing the sophisticated soul of this new Eau de
mixed it with wine to flavour it. Eastern women still use it today in Cologne Concentrée.
cosmetics with revitalising powers. Even the Bible mentions it several
times and the Wise Men brought it to the Baby Jesus as a gift. Used in
Chinese medicine, it brings together healing qualities and sanctity.
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