Perfumery in Asia - Reflections upon the Natural, Cultural and Intangible Heritage

“Perfumery” – as the term is used here – refers to the art and practice of producing, refining and consuming aromatic materials in appreciation of their olfactory quality. In Asia, incense, flowers, distillates and aromatic objects especially deserve attention as “perfumes”, if the definition of “perfumery” is widened in this way in favour of a multicultural approach to the vast and diverse world of fragrances and related activities worldwide. For appraising the value of the Asian perfumery heritage, the general considerations by the UNESCO concerning the definition of “heritage” are inspiring for reflecting upon the ethnographic data