THE PERFUME ROADS symbolize the crossing of different worlds and diverse cultures: the Middle East, the Orient and the Western World. Those roads created exchanges of goods, as well as exchanges of ideas and beliefs between the people. Each country has its own perfume culture, rituals, routes and history. The discovery of this great heritage has given birth today to the awareness of perfumes’ cultural wealth. Perfume is a worldwide heritage that must be protected. Since the most ancient of times, perfume was used by all civilizations. In Ancient Egypt, they said “Those who breathe the scent of flowers breathe the soul of flowers”. In South America, Native American doctors were called “Perfumeros”. In China the sign used to name perfume is similar to the one meaning “remedy” and a proverb says “a perfume is always a medicine”. In Russia, perfumes were sold essentially in pharmacies. They owned their own laboratories, flower fields and perfume bottles factories. F o r e wo r d The world heritage of perfume is an important source of inspiration for designers and for everybody involved in the Art of Perfumery. Within the more than 800 bottles that I have designed in my lifetime, I have always been inspired by this precious world heritage. For instance, when I created the perfume bottle for YSL Opium, the Japanese inro was my Muse. This book should not only be a source of inspiration for a new generation of designers, but also a reminder for each of us to be humble and respectful of Perfume. The importance of all aspects of its realization, from composition to presentation, should be perfect enough to be a homage. As you read this book, you will understand how precious perfume was for many civilizations, many nations and will continue to be for our world and future generations to come. We owe Creezy Courtoy a debt of gratitude for her passion and research and for taking us on this marvelous journey along the Perfume Roads. Pierre Dinand, July 2019 A b o u t t h e A u t h o r Creezy Courtoy is an historian and anthropologist specializing in perfume. She is also Founder and Chair of the non-profit International Perfume Foundation which mission is education, protection and preservation of perfume heritage. For her project THE PERFUME ROADS, Creezy Courtoy received UNESCO’s high patronage. "The whole program related to LES ROUTES DU PARFUM (The Perfume Roads) attracted all my attention. The promotion of perfume as elemental part of the historical and cultural heritage is an excellent initiative. It is aligned with the UNESCO’s mission for the protection and the preservation of the cultural heritage, in particular intangible heritage. " UNESCO Patronage, Hernan Crespo Thoral, Deputy Director General of Culture A b o u t P i e r r e Di n an d Pierre Dinand is the world’s most famous perfume bottle designer. In 2020, he will be celebrating 60 years of perfume bottle design and worked for the most prestigious perfume brands.
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