Oils and Fragrances

Simply stated, incense has been a feature of ceremonies worldwide since ancient times and the world trade in incense has never declined since. The Egyptians used oil of myrrh for embalming and later discovered other ritual, medical, and cosmetic uses for incense. Hindus use it for all temple and domestic offerings, while Buddhists burn it at festivals, initiations, and daily rites.

The Chinese use it to honor ancestors and household deities, and in Japan it is a mainstay of Shinto ritual. The early Christian church utilized it to symbolize the ascent of prayers of the faithful and to honor God and the saints. And in the Americas, the use of incense is documented from the very first encounters between the indigenous populations and the Europeans in the 15th and early 16th centuries.

But it was not until the arrival of incense in Japan that its use became a fine art. Brought to Japan in the sixth century by Buddhist monks who used the mystical aromas in their purification rites, the delicate scents of Koh (Japanese high quality incense) became a source of amusement and entertainment with nobles in the Imperial Court during the Heian Era 200 years later.

During the Shogunate period in the 14th century, samurai warriors would perfume their helmets and armor with incense to achieve a proud aura of invincibility as they prepared to meet their foe and their fate. But it wasn’t until the Muromachi Era during the 15th and 16th centuries that the elegant art of incense appreciation spread to the upper and middle classes of Japanese society.  Today these essences are widely accepted and enjoyed in all parts of the world.