The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance

This beautiful coffee table book is filled with historical photographs, illustrations of fragrance plants, maps of routes used to procure and transport perfume ingredients. It’s full of both curious histories and solid information. I enjoy all of Mandy Aftel’s books. This one is the book version of her museum, the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents. It includes a naturally scented bookmark, so you don’t miss out on something to smell!

Mandy Aftel has created yet another masterpiece with her latest book, The Museum of Scent. What is especially striking about Mandy is her profound way of birthing one work of art after another while cocooning each one in a patina all its own. Mandy is one of the true originals in this world…an original artist, an original thinker, simply an original…and her creations reflect that. From the natural materials she curates from searching the world over to the perfumes she makes with them. From the classes she composes like a legendary scented symphony to the books she pours from her soul, Mandy is one of a kind. The Museum of Scent is a true gift to the world, as it reflects the culmination of Mandy’s life’s work. To open the book is to step into another world and through time. Her soulful words and her impeccable illustrations transport you through time and place to both a lost world and the natural world that is just within reach for us all. Through her pilgrimage of collecting rare, historical books and researching everything there is about perfume and anything that has or is related to natural scent, she shares her knowledge, experience, and passion like an offering. A sacred offering for everyone, reflecting her generosity of spirit…another rarity in today’s world. Mandy is a seasoned, skilled writer and still captures awe and wonder as if she were bringing her scented universe forward for the first time. I feel enormously fortunate to study with Mandy and to continually visit her otherworldly museum in Berkeley, for which this book is an homage, and I can attest to the absolutely magical way she has captured the essence of it on each page. The collection of photos from her actual museum usher you through the door of the beautiful sanctuary she created…one piece of wood and stained-glass pane after another…as though you are standing before each exceptional artifact before you. Her hand-painted illustrations lead your imagination to places only seen before in dreams, and her ability to lift scents off the pages is an unmatched artistry. Indeed, Mandy Aftel is as much a part of the history of the natural fragrance world as each of the botanicals, books, perfumes, and long-lost treasures celebrated inside the book itself.

This may be my favorite book I have ever held in my hands, if I could give it ten stars I would. I felt transported to a magical world where the essences come to life through the lens of Mandy, through her vast knowledge of the history & lore of essences & natural perfume to the beautifully hand painted illustrations. It is a piece of art in & of itself, it is like stepping into her Berkeley museum & the world in which she exists through the pages of a book. It would make a beautiful gift to someone you love AND to yourself, truly a treasure!

I was so excited to receive this book! I spent hours just looking through it. It is undoubtedly the most important book in natural perfumery, with new and detailed information about materials and the craft of perfume. All connected to the most beautiful little museum in the world, located in Berkeley.

An exploration of perfume materials through the lens of Mandy Aftel’s marvelous collection, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves the senses, history, natural aromatic materials, museums, and culture. Plus, it’s a beautiful, substantial object in its own right.

Excellent item arrived right on schedule!

this is a very informative book. very handy if you are trying to compound your own scents.

A beautiful book with descriptions you can almost smell. Bravo!

Excellent quality and very interesting content.

Delighted with this large hardback colourful book....very surprised at how amazing it really is...would highly recomend....

I’m happy to have ordered it! Beautifully illustrated book and with a short article for each natural ingredient. A lot of information about the history and curiosities in the world of natural perfumery. You can feel the love and dedication Mandy After has put in this book. It even comes with a scented bookmark!

This is an incredibly fascinating book that is very well researched and written. While there are many text-only perfume histories out there, this one provides rich visual context to the nature and provenance of the aromatic materials featured in her museum, which are accompanied by high quality photos and Mandy's hand-painted illustrations. Highly recommend.