Fragrance Bead Thingys

[Guest guest]

I collect pomander recipes and this was posted on the Old Perfumery (probably

got the name wrong) list under Rose Beads and Spice Beads. I've never done it

but I always had one question: in the paragraph where it says “Take a pound

of roses without the flower heads, ...º what part of the plant could that be?

Stems?

Jody

DayBreak Lavender Farm

 

To make Rose beads, you supposedly take fresh or half-wilted rosepetals, add

rose water to cover, cook over a low heat in an iron pot for an hour, then

allow to cool. Repeat once a day for three days. It will be rendered into black,

oxidized pulp; you can then oil your fingers with rose oil and form beads,

then pierce them with a needle and string; allow to dry for several days,

rotating on the string so they don't stick. Spice scented beads are made by

mixing

dry spices with binders like benzoin and gum acacia and glycerin, and forming

beads. I have not yet found a period recipe for rose 'beads': I suspect these

are a special case of pomanders. On the other hand, the Spanish work  Manual de

mujeres en el cual se contienen muchas y diversas recetas muy buenas, has a

recipe for Rose pastilles:

 

" 101 Receta para hacer pasticas de perfume de rosas

     Tomar una libra de rosas sin las cabezuelas, y siete onzas de menjuí

molido. Echar las rosas en remojo en agua almizclada y estén una noche. Sacar

después estas rosas y expremidlas mucho del agua, y majadlas con el menjuí. Y

al

majar, poner con ello una cuarta de ámbar y otra de algalia. Y después de

majadas, hacer vuestras pasticas y ponedlas cada una entre dos hojas de rosas, y

s

ecadlas donde no les dé el sol.

Recipe for making rose-scented tablets

     Take a pound of roses without the flower heads, and seven ounces of

ground benzoin.  Put the roses to soak in musk water for a night.  Remove

these

roses afterwards and thoroughly squeeze out the water, and grind them with the

benzoin.  And when grinding, put with it a quarter of amber and another of

civet [musk].  And after [they are] ground, make your tablets and put each one

between two rose leaves, and dry them away from the sun. "

Text from http://cervantesvirtual.com/; translation by Dana Huffman.