Olfactory Research Notes: Queens and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt (online)

The Institute for Art and Olfaction is devoted to creative experimentation with a focus on scent. Our goal is to create new points of entry for people interested in the field of olfaction, while accommodating creative ideas in all mediums. The IAO is a 501(c)3 non-profit located in Los Angeles, USA.

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Egyptologist Dora Goldsmith joins the IAO to share her research into the perfumes of queens in ancient Egypt. Online.

For Curious Minds and/or Perfumers at All Levels

These scent and perfumery-related talks and classes can be taken at will, for all levels of engagement or practice, presented by The Institute for Art and Olfaction. Online or in-person.

Queens and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt: Hatshepsut and Cleopatra: Egyptologist Dora Goldsmith joins the Institute for Art and Olfaction for the latest talk in the IAO's Olfactory Research Notes series, sharing her research on royal perfumes in ancient Egypt.Ancient Egyptians queens have always captured our imagination and interest. They were smart and just rulers who had an outstanding appreciation for perfumes. However, there are two queens who were more than just perfume aficionados. Hatshepsut and Cleopatra were visionaries of perfumery, whose perfume inventions shaped the olfactory history of ancient Egypt and the entire Mediterranean in antiquity. In this class, Egyptologist Dora Goldsmith will teach you everything to know about ancient Egyptian queens and perfumes. As an added bonus, she will walk you through the reconstruction of Cleopatra’s famous perfume, the Mendesian, and teach you how to make it yourself.This presentation will be followed by a question and answer session with attendees.

Takeaways and Learning Points:<ul><li>Queens: Which queens stand out in ancient Egyptian history as related to perfumes?</li><li>Goddesses: How did goddesses influence queens in their olfactory practices? Which goddesses did queens try to emulate through scents and why?</li><li>Perfumers: Who were the perfumers of queens and what do we know about them?</li><li>Inventions: How did Hatshepsut and Cleopatra reinvent Egyptian perfumery? What were their innovations precisely and what prompted their new visions?</li><li>Politics: How did Hatshepsut and Cleopatra use scents to establish their social status and strengthen their political career?</li><li>Experimental archaeology: How can we replicate the Mendesian perfume in the modern age? Dora Goldsmith will explain what we know about the Mendesian based on written evidence and show you the perfume-making process step-by-step.</li></ul>

ABOUT DORA GOLDSMITHDora Goldsmith is an Egyptologist specializing in the scents and perfumes of ancient Egyptian society. Known for her recreations of ancient Egyptian scentscapes, perfumes, and cosmetics, and her general willingness to experiment, she is often referred to as “the experimental Egyptologist”.Dora has been researching the role the sense of smell played in ancient Egypt for a decade. Specifically, the topic of her research is the olfactory culture of ancient Egypt as reflected by the written sources, with a critique of the imposition of a Western sensorium. Olfaction, as with all sensory perceptions, is not only a means of assessing cultural phenomena, but also an avenue for the transmission of cultural values. Her research, encompassing society, religion, art, linguistic and natural science, lies at the intersection of material and text, and aims to shape our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians perceived the world through the sense of smell.Dora’s published works include Kyphi in Dimê (2025), What Did Ancient Egypt Smell Like? (2023), Smellscapes in Ancient Egypt (2022), Eau de Cleopatra: Mendesian Perfume and Tell Timai (2021), The Scent of Mummification (2019), Fish, Fowl, and Stench in Ancient Egypt (2019).Since 2018, Dora has been continuously engaging the public through perfume workshops and talks with her scent reconstructions at museums, universities and educational centers worldwide. Many of her historical perfume reconstructions have been exhibited in museums around the world. Her latest perfume reconstructions are currently on exhibit at the Egyptian Museum in Munich.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prof_dora/?hl=en" title="https://www.instagram.com/prof_dora/?hl=en" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Follow Dora Goldsmith on Instagram</a>

ABOUT OLFACTORY RESEARCH NOTESOlfactory Research Notes is a lecture series presented by the Institute for Art and Olfaction that highlights important research done in the field of olfaction, directly from the scientists, researchers, academics, and artists who do it.

ATTENDANCE AND REFUND POLICYThis is an online class that will take place on Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent by email approximately 24 hours before the class. Lest this email end up in your spam folder, please be sure to add hello@artandolfaction.com and noreply@order.eventbrite.com to your address book.+ Learn more about how we teach and our community guidelines here: <a href="https://artandolfaction.com/newcomers/" title="https://artandolfaction.com/newcomers/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://artandolfaction.com/newcomers/</a><a href="https://artandolfaction.online/community-guidelines" title="https://artandolfaction.online/community-guidelines" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">.</a>+ We will upload the class recording after the end of the session, and share it for 14 days with attendees. This video is view-only, and expires at the end of the 14 day window.+ Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds or credit for this class. Note also that event tickets are non-transferable.

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Olfactory Research Notes: Queens and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt (online)

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Olfactory Research Notes: Queens and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt (online)

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