Qatar America Institute for Culture (QAIC) has opened the doors to its newest cultural installation, the Perfumery Museum in Washington DC, during its first Seasonal Social open house for 2021.
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The Perfumery Museum shares the story of fragrance's significant impact to society across time and the world through both historical and contemporary accounts. There will be a variety of informative displays and interactive elements as well.
Visitors are briefly introduced to the history of fragrance followed by a curated display of vintage perfume bottles from fashion houses such as Guerlain and Lanvin. Visitors also learn about several traditional objects still used today for fragrance in the Middle East, such as the oud-infused incense bukhoor that's burned inside a diffuser called a mabkhara.
In the center of the chamber sits a table adorned with numbered glass apothecary jars, each containing scented strips with mystery fragrances like myrrh or saffron for guests to identify.
The Perfumery Museum plans to offer future programming uniquely tied to fragrance.
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