The Splendor of the Paris Opera – Palais Garnier. In the magnificent Grand Hall, a ballet performance is taking place: entrechats, pas de deux and ronds de jambes on the polished and shining stage, waxed by thousands of bees. The richly decorated foyer reaches all the way up to the roof of the Opera, where thousands of bees in urban hives produce a stunningly aromatic honey and wax. Its absolute takes on a mystical character when combined with notes of sandalwood and styrax.
Thanks to the favorable climate of Awaji Island, located off the coast of Kobe, the best incense comes from there. The local masters of perfumery, koh-shi, prepare incense according to a thousand-year-old tradition, passed down from father to son. They have perfected four stages of production. First, they prepare and mix the ingredients – all of natural origin – including exotic wood, plants and herbs, plant resins and perfumes. They knead these ingredients to form a uniform paste, and leave it for two weeks to combine with the perfumes. From this paste, they then form long strips, which are cut to the desired length and left to dry for three days in the western wind. The finished incense is gathered in bundles. Each box contains about 125 incense sticks, each of which burns for 30 minutes.
About the brand Astier de Villatte
Brand with a crafty touch. Its founders, Ivan Pericoli and Benoît Astier de Villatte, produce ceramics using traditional 19th century methods - making each piece timeless and unique. But ceramics are not the end! In 2008, the pair invited renowned "noses": Emilie Mazeaud and Françoise Carona (a star from the Japanese perfume house Takasago) to collaborate. This resulted in a line of colognes, incense, and scented candles. The candles deserve special recognition - each wick (made of pure cotton) is tailored to the specific composition, while the glass vessels, decorated with small air bubbles, are made in an old-fashioned workshop in Tuscany. The labels and cardboard packaging are printed by one of the last typesetters in France - Monsieur Huin.