an-Nāṣiriyyah. Photo: Tiamat
East of an-Nāṣiriyyah there grows a plant with an unusual flower. Will you stroll with me? Let’s follow the breeze through the fields where the Iris Nazarena flourishes. Click on the video for the stroll.
Karl Bradl from Aedes de Venustas, spotted this flower on a postcard. It has now become the name of a perfume which captures the unique scent, not of it’s flowers (they are almost scentless) but of it’s roots, the rhizomes of the plant. Karl describes the process of obtaining the scent from Iris Nazarena…
To turn it into an aromatic material, the flower must grow for three years before being uprooted. The rhizome has no scent at this stage: it must be left to dry for another three years before developing its characteristic, powdery-woody-violet note. It is then ground and distilled. It is only after this time and labor-intensive process that the majestic iris is reborn as one of the most precious raw materials in perfumery, one that fetches higher prices than gold. A mysterious resurrection process that reflects the history of the land where the Nazareth Iris grows.
– Karl Bradl
– Aedes de Venustas
Photo: אבישי טייכר Avishai Teicher
Paired with incense to reference the ancient use of burning aromatics as offerings to the divine, this second release from the perfumery Aedes du Ventustas is available in June. Rose, Oud, Clove and Star Anise also swirl around in this composition.
Perfumer: Ralf Schwieger
The perfumer, Ralf Schwieger Ralf, envisions
perfumery as an expression of primary emotion.
Atelier’s Orange Sanguine (which Brie is reviewing tomorrow), Eau des Merveilles from Hermès, Frederick Malle’d Lipstick Rose as well as Marc Jacob Men are some of Ralf’s other ‘fumes. Last year he was awarded the Prix des Experts Award by the Fragrance Foundation (France).
The first release from this house featured an Incense and Rhubarb Accord by the ‘man who ate niche’ Bertrand Duchaufour. If you enjoy incense notes then it would be interesting to take this fragrant journey now and into the future as incense is the house accord, or the olfactive thread running through this first range.
Iris Nazarena – Aedes de Venustas
EDP
100ml
Classification: woody floral musk
Olfactive Group: wood / leather / incense
Released: June 2013
Perfumer: Ralf Schwieger
Notes
Top: Iris, Ambrette, Juniper Berry, Star Anise
Heart: Leather, Oud, Clove, Rose de Mai
Dry Down: Incense, Woods, Musk, Vétiver
Perfume Orders: aedes@aedes.com
Aedes de Venustas
9 Christopher St
New York NY
USA
Further Reading
Grain de Musc – review
Aedes de Venustas – website
Iris Nazarena
The Fragrant Man 
Gorgeous. And that last picture….I would like a whole kitchen wall of that.
Great idea. A wallflower that wafts.
I wonder how they figured out that they needed to dry the root for 3 years before they got the smell from it, especially since the flowers have no real scent. They are beautiful flowers.
Trial and Iris.
Lol. I almost spit my tea out laughing when I read that. Brilliant!
Poodle….am spitting out my ice cream laughing so hard…bravo, Jordan!
🙂
I always have this kind of questions… also who found that diluting cat piss… errr, I mean civet would smell good
Amer, that thought has crossed my kind many times too. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one.
You listen to me soldier and listen to me good! We’re in this together! You hear? 😛
Perhaps I should start writing down these questions. I am sure we can get enough for a post at some point. Until then I’ll be combing the beach for that million dollar piece of whale poop
Exotic bloom, wonderful images and a pure delight to read, thank you.
Yes it looks like an orchid-iris hybrid but is natural. What grows beside your creek?
My creek, ummm. The vegetation is fairly thick and in what we would term a natural bush state. Majestic eucalypts, river she-oaks, red grevilleas, tangling vines and strappy daniellas, a type of reed. Nothing with large blooms, everything very subtle and subdued. But when the eucalypts flower in massed profusion, depending on the species, the perfume hangs upon the air and the bees create harmonics like you have never heard before.
Bee Harmonics; what a delight. The bush sounds restful.
It is, very.
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Why did I not comment on this earlier when I liked the post? Oh well…. Anyway it sounds so incredible. I am in love with the bottle right off the bat. A perfect companion for Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum for women. (Love LOVE the rhubarb note in that one)
Hmm, maybe you are the man who ate rhubarb quiche. As it happens I am cooking up a pot of rhubarb for a crumble right now.
I love a rhubarb crumble!!
“the man who ate niche”??? I always confused him with the one who trampled all over it… wait… they are the same
Moderator please, o, that’s me. No, cannot moderate free speech. Yes Mr Duchaufour is prolific and an incense expert. Check the horizon for some new releases shortly.
It sounds very promising (and pictures are just beautiful!). I will be curious to try it though for some snobbish reason I do not approve of perfume stores launching their own perfumes.
I think they have the knowledge and and the passion to creatively direct their line. ‘Tis the next step in their fragrant journey and surely better than another mainstream release. Interesting comment though. They are being their own competition in some ways. Still I think it is great how they are utilizing their own well thought-out brand into perfumes. Let us know your thoughts when you try this. Maybe it will be reflected in the looking-glass?
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