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Atlas of Perfumed Botany
A cartography of fragrance that charts the botany and geography of perfume composition.
For perfume makers, each smell carries with it a multitude of associations and impressions that must be carefully analyzed and understood before the sum of all its parts emerges. All perfumers have their own idiosyncratic methods, drawn from their individual olfactory experiences, for classifying fragrances. In Atlas of Perfumed Botany , virtuoso perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena leads readers on a poetic, geographic, and botanical journey of perfume discovery. Ellena offers a varied and fascinating cartography of fragrances, tracing historical connections and cultural exchanges. Full-page entries on plants ranging from bergamot to lavender are accompanied by detailed and vivid full-color botanical illustrations.
For perfume makers, each smell carries with it a multitude of associations and impressions that must be carefully analyzed and understood before the sum of all its parts emerges. All perfumers have their own idiosyncratic methods, drawn from their individual olfactory experiences, for classifying fragrances. In Atlas of Perfumed Botany , virtuoso perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena leads readers on a poetic, geographic, and botanical journey of perfume discovery. Ellena offers a varied and fascinating cartography of fragrances, tracing historical connections and cultural exchanges. Full-page entries on plants ranging from bergamot to lavender are accompanied by detailed and vivid full-color botanical illustrations.
168 pages, Hardcover
Published April 5, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 26, 2021
Tutto bellissimo! Dagli aneddoti dello scrittore alle illustrazioni meravigliose...
Cosi bello che mette di buon umore!
Cosi bello che mette di buon umore!
April 2, 2022
This is the perfect gift for perfume lovers!
It's a dictionary of botanical elements, all famous perfume ingredients, from the point of view of Jean-Claude Ellena. That means it is not so much about these ingredients but of his experiences, his personal encounters and memories featuring them. And he has fantastic stories to tell.
It's a mix between a perfume dictionary and a biography of a master perfumer. If you don't want to read too deep into his life story, but only read his experience in the realm of perfume this book is the answer to the quest.
It's an enriching book, filled with interesting snippets and invaluable personal notes, a wonderful insight into a great perfumer's world.
I received a copy of this in order to offer my honest view on it.
It's a dictionary of botanical elements, all famous perfume ingredients, from the point of view of Jean-Claude Ellena. That means it is not so much about these ingredients but of his experiences, his personal encounters and memories featuring them. And he has fantastic stories to tell.
It's a mix between a perfume dictionary and a biography of a master perfumer. If you don't want to read too deep into his life story, but only read his experience in the realm of perfume this book is the answer to the quest.
It's an enriching book, filled with interesting snippets and invaluable personal notes, a wonderful insight into a great perfumer's world.
I received a copy of this in order to offer my honest view on it.
July 29, 2024
Je ne crois pas détenir un parfum crée par le célèbre Jean-Claude Ellena, mais j'ai bien apprécié lire ce documentaire à mi-chemin entre le journal intime et le livre d'histoire. Pour chaque partie (bois et écorces, feuilles, fleurs, fruits, gommes et résines, graines et racines), le maître parfumeur nous partage ses expériences avec un ingrédient utilisé en parfumerie. Par exemple, dans la section fruit, on peut lire à propos de la bergamote. On y lit des faits historiques, géographiques, mais aussi les pensées intérieures de l'auteur. Les illustrations qui accompagnent les textes sont super belles, un peu comme des mandalas. Un beau livre à lire si on veut en savoir plus à propos des matières premières utilisées en parfumerie.
May 18, 2025
Vraiment super pour en apprendre plus sur les matières premières utilisées en parfumerie, je l’ai emprunté en bibliothèque mais je vais l’acheter pour pouvoir toujours l’avoir sous la main !!
December 18, 2021
This book is a case in point of me being way too literal minded. Jean-Claude Ellena is clearly a subtle and sophisticated man of the world while I am but a simple rube. With the title containing the word “Atlas” I had been expecting a geographic presentation. Some maps. And lots of discourse about each location, and not just the vegetal retrieved there. And maybe photos of the plants found at each location. And the people and geography. I am always particularly interested in the supply chain and a proponent of the “think global, act local” ideology that is good for both the planet and for us people; besides the local environmental impact, I would love to have read how the euros get spread around—the local economic impact.
Instead, this slim volume is organized by the parts of plants used to make perfume: roots, leafs, flowers, and so forth. Each essay is interleaved with fantastic hand-drawn images in shapes and colors evocative of the fragrances described. There is a brief mention of where each vegetal is primarily sourced—but not enough details to warrant the monicker “atlas.”
I particularly enjoyed reading about the author’s youth and would love to read more about his life.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my feedback.
Instead, this slim volume is organized by the parts of plants used to make perfume: roots, leafs, flowers, and so forth. Each essay is interleaved with fantastic hand-drawn images in shapes and colors evocative of the fragrances described. There is a brief mention of where each vegetal is primarily sourced—but not enough details to warrant the monicker “atlas.”
I particularly enjoyed reading about the author’s youth and would love to read more about his life.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my feedback.
November 10, 2021
I would like to thank you NetGalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to printing.
At first glance, this book is visually appealing, the cover, and layout within the book are wonderful. It was a simple and enjoyable read, I finished it within an hour. I found it fairly informative, and I really enjoyed how the author incorporated historical information with each plant species.
There was only one this I really didn't care for and this is my mistake, but I was assuming that it was a book filled with botany perfume recipes, so I was slightly let down when I didn't see any.
At first glance, this book is visually appealing, the cover, and layout within the book are wonderful. It was a simple and enjoyable read, I finished it within an hour. I found it fairly informative, and I really enjoyed how the author incorporated historical information with each plant species.
There was only one this I really didn't care for and this is my mistake, but I was assuming that it was a book filled with botany perfume recipes, so I was slightly let down when I didn't see any.
May 2, 2021
Un libro bellissimo dove sicuramente viene trasmessa la passione per il lavoro di profumiere e viene descritto attraverso aneddoti, viaggi, qualche brevissima spiegazione botanica, cenni storici e processi di lavorazione delle materie prime, come nasce un profumo.
Molto interessante come sono state divise le sezioni del libro: foglie, fiori, resine, tuberi... questo stratagemma aiuta a capire da quale parte della pianta trattata proviene l’aroma.
La stella in meno è perché il libro a tratti puó sembrare troppo personale nel senso che gli aneddoti sono comunque funzionali all’argomento, ma non rispecchiano il titolo che fa sembrare il libro più tecnico. (Ovviamente mia opinione)
Rimane comunque un must have, soprattutto per chi ama il mondo dei profumi!
Molto interessante come sono state divise le sezioni del libro: foglie, fiori, resine, tuberi... questo stratagemma aiuta a capire da quale parte della pianta trattata proviene l’aroma.
La stella in meno è perché il libro a tratti puó sembrare troppo personale nel senso che gli aneddoti sono comunque funzionali all’argomento, ma non rispecchiano il titolo che fa sembrare il libro più tecnico. (Ovviamente mia opinione)
Rimane comunque un must have, soprattutto per chi ama il mondo dei profumi!
May 12, 2021
Interessante, poetico ed elegante. L'ho divorato!
March 20, 2022
Scents are incredibly transportive and meaningful, whether memories evoked are positive or negative. This book takes the reader on a spellbinding journey around the world where scents are found and discovered from various parts of plants and scenery to how they become perfume and other products. Each chapter contains gorgeous botanical illustrations. I would love to see photographs of various plants as well.
Fascinating Atlas of Perfumed Botany is written by a French Perfumer who has worked with the likes of Hermès and Bulgari. He describes odors, scents and perfumes as he sees them and explains the parts of the plant which produce scents (for example, the iris scent does not come from its flowers). Just as artists can recognize the lumber they use when they burn, he recognizes notes and has used them in perfumes. One may not at first be attracted to the note of horse urine but essential oils are perfectly chosen in the ultimate combinations and ratios. Plus he describes several specific scents and where they are grown, terroir and their origins. He also refers to mythology and the importance of scent in daily use (soap, laundry detergent, medicine). He notes taste and smell are closely related so a combination of spices and citrus created Old Spice cologne. His inspiration comes from botanical gardens and pastoral scenery on his travels. Though not a perfume person, I can understand his passion and am intrigued by botany as a master gardener. As I live in the Mediterranean part of the year, most beguiling scents in my association are of jasmine, lavender, Mediterranean honeysuckle, Mediterranean pine, basil, rosemary, lemon, orange, porcini and white truffle.
Descriptions of scents are visceral and wonderful including white bread crust and black truffle combined with litchi. I learned a wealth of information including the attributes and practical uses of oak lichen many years ago, the use of herbs and spices to enhance food, the definition of accord and chypre and the challenging collection of plants such as the "four o'clock flower" and the importance of terroir. There are things here I had not heard of before including enfleurage.
So, you need not be interested in perfume but if you are, this is for you. If you are not, this is still for you if you gravitate to informative and topical books. I associate scents with cooking and baking; the descriptions here are inspirational (vanilla, lavender, long pepper, cardamom, nutmeg...).
My sincere thank you to MIT Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book. After this I will be even more mindful of scents and where they come from.
Fascinating Atlas of Perfumed Botany is written by a French Perfumer who has worked with the likes of Hermès and Bulgari. He describes odors, scents and perfumes as he sees them and explains the parts of the plant which produce scents (for example, the iris scent does not come from its flowers). Just as artists can recognize the lumber they use when they burn, he recognizes notes and has used them in perfumes. One may not at first be attracted to the note of horse urine but essential oils are perfectly chosen in the ultimate combinations and ratios. Plus he describes several specific scents and where they are grown, terroir and their origins. He also refers to mythology and the importance of scent in daily use (soap, laundry detergent, medicine). He notes taste and smell are closely related so a combination of spices and citrus created Old Spice cologne. His inspiration comes from botanical gardens and pastoral scenery on his travels. Though not a perfume person, I can understand his passion and am intrigued by botany as a master gardener. As I live in the Mediterranean part of the year, most beguiling scents in my association are of jasmine, lavender, Mediterranean honeysuckle, Mediterranean pine, basil, rosemary, lemon, orange, porcini and white truffle.
Descriptions of scents are visceral and wonderful including white bread crust and black truffle combined with litchi. I learned a wealth of information including the attributes and practical uses of oak lichen many years ago, the use of herbs and spices to enhance food, the definition of accord and chypre and the challenging collection of plants such as the "four o'clock flower" and the importance of terroir. There are things here I had not heard of before including enfleurage.
So, you need not be interested in perfume but if you are, this is for you. If you are not, this is still for you if you gravitate to informative and topical books. I associate scents with cooking and baking; the descriptions here are inspirational (vanilla, lavender, long pepper, cardamom, nutmeg...).
My sincere thank you to MIT Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book. After this I will be even more mindful of scents and where they come from.
March 22, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Atlas of Perfumed Botany is a beautifully illustrated atlas/encyclopedia of the art and botany of perfumery by renowned "nose" Jean-Claude Ellena. Released in French in 2020, this English language translation is due out 5th April 2022 from the MIT Press. It's 168 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
This is an accessible and well written nonfiction atlas of scented botanical materials used in perfume, and presented by a world renowned perfumer with decades of experience. He writes very knowledgeably and well and it's very clear that he knows what he's talking about. The book's chapters are arranged thematically: woods & barks, leaves, flowers, gums & resins, seeds, and roots. Each entry includes the name with botanical (Latin) nomenclature, and wonderfully warm stories of the plants and how they're grown and processed. It could be a dry recitation, but these vignettes are anything but - they're told in a personal and conversational manner and felt to me much like an informal coffee date with a mentor.
The translation work by Erik Butler is seamless. I never once felt yanked out of the flow of the stories or found anything that was clumsily translated or awkwardly worded. The illustrations by Karin Doering-Froger are graphically attractive and restful and enhance the individual entries well. They have a sort of botanical print / Wm. Morris vibe.
Five stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, as well as for gardeners and readers who enjoy botanical reading. The author is a joy to read and vastly knowledgeable.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Atlas of Perfumed Botany is a beautifully illustrated atlas/encyclopedia of the art and botany of perfumery by renowned "nose" Jean-Claude Ellena. Released in French in 2020, this English language translation is due out 5th April 2022 from the MIT Press. It's 168 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
This is an accessible and well written nonfiction atlas of scented botanical materials used in perfume, and presented by a world renowned perfumer with decades of experience. He writes very knowledgeably and well and it's very clear that he knows what he's talking about. The book's chapters are arranged thematically: woods & barks, leaves, flowers, gums & resins, seeds, and roots. Each entry includes the name with botanical (Latin) nomenclature, and wonderfully warm stories of the plants and how they're grown and processed. It could be a dry recitation, but these vignettes are anything but - they're told in a personal and conversational manner and felt to me much like an informal coffee date with a mentor.
The translation work by Erik Butler is seamless. I never once felt yanked out of the flow of the stories or found anything that was clumsily translated or awkwardly worded. The illustrations by Karin Doering-Froger are graphically attractive and restful and enhance the individual entries well. They have a sort of botanical print / Wm. Morris vibe.
Five stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, as well as for gardeners and readers who enjoy botanical reading. The author is a joy to read and vastly knowledgeable.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
April 24, 2025
This is stupendously informative and lovely, more of an heirloom than a book. It belongs in every perfume lover's library.
What is it all about? It's a personal journey a reader undertakes with perhaps the most acclaimed "nose" of the last 50 years, Jean Claude-Ellena.
Mr. Ellena introduces us to various plants, woods, leaves, fruits, resins, seeds and roots, laying out their origins, cultivation, techniques, uses, and cultural influences. He travels the world from Africa to Asia, and finds labdanum, roses, yang-ylang, lemons, myrrh, cardamom, iris, and vetivier.
He will relate how some of these are made into something called perfume, how he stumbled accidentally into wondrous discoveries, how combinations of elements create otherworldly things that do not exist in real life. He writes about the modern origins of the perfume industry, the German chemists, Swiss botanists, French perfume manufacturers who built the mighty wealthy world of bottled fragrances.
Each chapter ends in a lovely illustration of a plant, and the aesthetics of this book are truly as ravishing as any bottle of Hermes.
Mr. Ellena is no creature of social media. He worked his ass off to fulfill his dreams, shoveling dirt, hosing tanks, picking flowers in the field, lifting bales of sandalwood off trucks. He was captivated by his interests and fully engaged in achieving success by learning and doing everything he could.
He is a real life adventurer, scholar, chemist, artisan, writer, traveler, businessman and intellectual that only France could produce and only France could sustain and enrich. It is a privilege to partake of his vast knowledge and wealth of experience and expertise.
What is it all about? It's a personal journey a reader undertakes with perhaps the most acclaimed "nose" of the last 50 years, Jean Claude-Ellena.
Mr. Ellena introduces us to various plants, woods, leaves, fruits, resins, seeds and roots, laying out their origins, cultivation, techniques, uses, and cultural influences. He travels the world from Africa to Asia, and finds labdanum, roses, yang-ylang, lemons, myrrh, cardamom, iris, and vetivier.
He will relate how some of these are made into something called perfume, how he stumbled accidentally into wondrous discoveries, how combinations of elements create otherworldly things that do not exist in real life. He writes about the modern origins of the perfume industry, the German chemists, Swiss botanists, French perfume manufacturers who built the mighty wealthy world of bottled fragrances.
Each chapter ends in a lovely illustration of a plant, and the aesthetics of this book are truly as ravishing as any bottle of Hermes.
Mr. Ellena is no creature of social media. He worked his ass off to fulfill his dreams, shoveling dirt, hosing tanks, picking flowers in the field, lifting bales of sandalwood off trucks. He was captivated by his interests and fully engaged in achieving success by learning and doing everything he could.
He is a real life adventurer, scholar, chemist, artisan, writer, traveler, businessman and intellectual that only France could produce and only France could sustain and enrich. It is a privilege to partake of his vast knowledge and wealth of experience and expertise.
June 9, 2024
A lovely gift given to me by a student, and right up my alley in terms of combining biology and art. The main drawback of the book was mostly my own ignorance of the world of perfumes - I not only don’t understand the jargon and don’t know the brands or names in the business, but don’t even wear perfume myself. Mostly it makes me sneeze. I acknowledge the challenge of writing about scents - the author has to assume the reader is familiar with the scents, or to comparisons to other scents, and often he had to resort to using language I assume is understood in the trade but not by lay folk - what exactly does “intelligence” or “cold” smell like? I did appreciate reading this even though it was challenging to understand (I wish there were scratch and sniff pages haha), since it opened my eyes to a world totally foreign to me, and the illustrations were lovely. A very interesting viewpoint to learn about plants.
April 27, 2024
‘Atlas of Perfumed Botany’ by Jean-Claude Ellena, featuring illustrations by Karin Doering-Froger, is a captivating exploration of the botanical world through the lens of fragrance. The book's exquisite botanical illustrations and Ellena's poetic descriptions draw readers into a sensory journey, offering insights into the art of perfumery and the plants that inspire it.
However, some readers may find the book too brief, wishing for a more extensive exploration of its subject matter. For example, including illustrated maps of the regions discussed could have provided a deeper context for the plants and their fragrances, enhancing the overall experience.
Despite this, Ellena's lyrical prose and Doering-Froger's detailed artwork make "Atlas of Perfumed Botany" a delightful read for anyone interested in botany, perfumery, or the natural world.
However, some readers may find the book too brief, wishing for a more extensive exploration of its subject matter. For example, including illustrated maps of the regions discussed could have provided a deeper context for the plants and their fragrances, enhancing the overall experience.
Despite this, Ellena's lyrical prose and Doering-Froger's detailed artwork make "Atlas of Perfumed Botany" a delightful read for anyone interested in botany, perfumery, or the natural world.
September 20, 2022
Atlas of Perfumed Botany is esteemed perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena's personal look at the plant ingredients that go into making a perfume. It takes things such as roses or vetiver, and gives a history of their use in perfumery, as well as other uses.
My favorite part of the slim volume was Ellena's own stories about how he was introduced to certain ingredients or what they mean to him. He's had a fascinating life, and I enjoyed coming along for the ride to see how a perfumer develops. I had already read similar information about the notes used in perfumes, but it was Ellena's personal insight into this which made it interesting for me.
This would be a great book for anyone interested in the art of perfumery or the plants and flowers used to make perfumes.
My favorite part of the slim volume was Ellena's own stories about how he was introduced to certain ingredients or what they mean to him. He's had a fascinating life, and I enjoyed coming along for the ride to see how a perfumer develops. I had already read similar information about the notes used in perfumes, but it was Ellena's personal insight into this which made it interesting for me.
This would be a great book for anyone interested in the art of perfumery or the plants and flowers used to make perfumes.
April 23, 2022
Perfumed botany. A phrase that conjures up the magic, beauty, elegance and wonders of flowers that smell heavenly! That’s partly why this book appealed to me, and I was not disappointed.
I enjoyed the history and stories, some from the author’s own experiences, and just getting to know about the plants and the perfumes they make possible. They made me want to visit the places with fields and fields of colours and scents.
The art is not too bad, but I would have loved to see more traditional floral arts, preferably in watercolor.
I enjoyed the history and stories, some from the author’s own experiences, and just getting to know about the plants and the perfumes they make possible. They made me want to visit the places with fields and fields of colours and scents.
The art is not too bad, but I would have loved to see more traditional floral arts, preferably in watercolor.
April 26, 2022
4 stars
I was so intrigued with this book. Such a well thought out and meticulous index/encyclopedia of sorts. I’ve always been so interested in scents and perfumery and having this guide lay out the botanical elements to scents, along with personal memories and stories attached from the author was a real treat to read. Definitely worth reading!
ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I was so intrigued with this book. Such a well thought out and meticulous index/encyclopedia of sorts. I’ve always been so interested in scents and perfumery and having this guide lay out the botanical elements to scents, along with personal memories and stories attached from the author was a real treat to read. Definitely worth reading!
ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Read
November 19, 2022This book is composed of sections with many stories and facts about the plants and herbs that form the perfumes. Gardeners or perfumers would be revelling in the detail, history and knowledge and would enjoy it very much.
The synopsis says it's a Poetic, geographic, and botanical journey of perfume discovery" and that sums it up perfectly.
The synopsis says it's a Poetic, geographic, and botanical journey of perfume discovery" and that sums it up perfectly.
March 23, 2022
It was a fascinating read and I learned something more about perfumes and the part of the plants used.
It's informative, well researched, and well written.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's informative, well researched, and well written.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
August 16, 2022
Lovely illustrations and interesting insight from a "nose" in the business.
February 4, 2023
Absolute gem of a read if you want to expand your knowledge of the history and various elements used in perfumery. Just wish the book was available in a scratch and sniff version.
March 11, 2023
Gorgeous drawings, somewhat interesting text, really unnecessary stories. Just pick a topic and stick to it I don't need to know your life story like a mom writing a cooking recipe online.
September 16, 2025
A beautiful primer to perfumed plants, with very nice illustrations and plenty of anecdotes from Monsieur Ellena.
Read
April 26, 2022Fascinating, and even useful since I actually make perfume and other scented items.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
January 30, 2022
Ho trovato questo libro una lettura piacevole. Il profumiere si percepisce essere una persona colta e informata in grado di far viaggiare il lettore in tutto il mondo alla ricerca dei prodotti più svariati, che siano essi comuni o rari. Tuttavia, avrei preferito fosse più schematico e che lasciasse più informazioni approfondite in merito ai fiori, ai semi, alle radici ecc… presi in considerazione. È da percepire, piuttosto, come una storia, un’esperienza di vita unica e peculiare che lo scrittore compie mostrando al grande pubblico la sua grande passione: l’arte del profumo.
September 16, 2023
3,5
Non conoscendo nulla a proposito dei profumi, questo libro, redatto da un maestro profumiere, mi ha permesso di affacciarmi a questo mondo per esplorare gli elementi naturali che lo costituiscono.
Delle varie essenze vengono descritte la provenienza, le caratteristiche organolettiche, le combinazioni più note, storielle che hanno coinvolto l'autore.
Un buon approccio per neofiti che ha soddisfatto una curiosità che non sapevo di avere.
Non conoscendo nulla a proposito dei profumi, questo libro, redatto da un maestro profumiere, mi ha permesso di affacciarmi a questo mondo per esplorare gli elementi naturali che lo costituiscono.
Delle varie essenze vengono descritte la provenienza, le caratteristiche organolettiche, le combinazioni più note, storielle che hanno coinvolto l'autore.
Un buon approccio per neofiti che ha soddisfatto una curiosità che non sapevo di avere.
August 23, 2021
Un beau livre, parsemé d'anecdotes du parfumeur Jean-Claude Ellena qui nous raconte sa relation avec chaque végétal présenté : leur histoire, les grands parfums qui y ont fait appel, les souvenirs qu'ils lui évoquent. On y retrouve à la fois la poésie de la parfumerie et la science des odeurs, avec de jolies planches illustratives par Karin Doering-Froger.
December 11, 2022
Un viaggio stupendo nei vari elementi della profumeria, guidato da Jan-Claude Ellena, uno dei nasi più famosi del mondo, e arricchito dalle meravigliose illustrazioni di Karin Doering-Froger. Prezioso sia il contenuto che l'edizione, tanto da essere un perfetto libro da esporre su un tavolino da tè per deliziare voi e i vostri ospiti.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews