Making Scents

The Smithsonian's virtual exhibit, "Caravan Kingdoms: Yemen & The Ancient Incense Trade"

It's time to don your adventurer's fedora: the Freer/Sackler Galleries (the Smithsonian's two Asian art museums) have posted an interactive virtual exhibit that's sure to be of interest to incense and history buffs.

Using maps, timelines, and a number of striking images, "Caravan Kingdoms: Yemen & The Ancient Incense Trade," tells the story of Qataban, Saba and Himyar, three ancient kingdoms that amassed great wealth by controlling caravan routes for the frankincense and myrhh trade.

Check out this informative virtual exhibit by clicking here.

A Kyoto hotel, incense ceremony instructions inclusive

Jim Byers, travel writer for Canada's The Star, has published a fun article detailing his stay at the Hoshinoya Kyoto hotel. While there, he participated in an introduction to the art of Japanese incense ceremony:

Elegance and ancient rituals mix at Japanese Hotel

TIME points out energy-saving use of incense

Incense as Energy-Conservation Tool

Insightful Slate article about Oman's frankincense culture

For the frankincense-curious among us, slate.com recently published a colorful article about Oman's deep affiliation with the beloved aromatic resin. Included is a short photo slideshow of persons and places mentioned in the piece:

What Is Frankincense?

If reading that puts you in the mood for some fine frankincense incense, of course Shoyeido Japanese Incense has the goods. Try our Incense Road: Frankincense sticks:

Shoyeido's Incense Road: Frankincense

Shoyeido's President to Present Incense Appreciation Events in Boston

From the Japan Society of Boston's website:

"Mr. Masataka Hata, President of the Shoyeido Incense Company of Kyoto, will return to the Japan Society of Boston to present this popular program on the lore of traditional Japanese incense appreciation.

"Shoyeido began in Kyoto in 1705. Rokubei Moritsune Hata began incorporating methods he learned while working at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. He applied the court's secret traditions of blending incense, previously enjoyed only by royalty, to commercial production. Twelve generations later, Masataka Hata continues this legacy, and Shoyeido today offers customers a wide variety of high quality, unique, hand-blended incense.

"The program will be in two parts: first, participants will engage in the classic incense game known as "kumiko" or "genji-ko," a favorite pastime of courtiers, as depicted in The Tale of Genji. The incense game will take place in Showa Boston's beautiful Sanzashi-an tea-house. A more perfect setting for experiencing incense as it was known to Prince Genji and Lady Murasaki does not exist in New England. The second part of each session will be a workshop where each participant will create their own fragrance to take home in an incense sachet.

Please visit the Japan Society of Boston's website for more details and registration instructions. Click HERE.