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Weight | 1 oz |
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$32.00
An unimaginably ancient scent, older than time. The gentle, fluttering embrace of oblivion: myrrh and blackened champaca blossom, attar of oudh, black amber, Casmir wood, and dried fig.
Words by Neil Gaiman, art by David Mack.
Out of stock
Weight | 1 oz |
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My well-beloved was stripped. Knowing my whim,
She wore her tinkling gems, but naught besides:
And showed such pride as, while her luck betides,
A sultan’s favored slave may show to him.
When it lets off its lively, crackling sound,
This blazing blend of metal crossed with stone
Gives me an ecstasy I’ve only known
Where league of sound and lustre can be found.
She let herself be loved: then, drowsy-eyed,
Smiled down from her high couch in languid ease.
My love was deep and gentle as the seas
And rose to her as to a cliff the tide.
My own approval of each dreamy pose,
Like a tamed tiger, cunningly she sighted:
And candour, with lubricity united,
Gave piquancy to every one she chose.
Her limbs and hips, burnished with changing lustres
Before my eyes, clairvoyant and serene,
Swanned themselves, undulating in their sheen;
Her breasts and belly, of my vine the clusters,
Like evil angels rose, my fancy twitting,
To kill the peace which over me she’d thrown,
And to disturb her from the crystal throne
Where, calm and solitary, she was sitting.
So swerved her pelvis that, in one design,
Antiope’s white rump it seemed to graft
To a boy’s torso, merging fore and aft.
The talc on her brown tan seemed half-divine.
The lamp resigned its dying flame. Within,
The hearth alone lit up the darkened air,
And every time it sighed a crimson flare
It drowned in blood that amber-coloured skin.
Skin musk and honey, blood-red rose, orange blossom, white peach, red apple, frankincense and myrrh.
Upon the next stage, a primitive cage has been erected. It is made of heavy, dark sticks bound with strips of deep brown leather. The stage is as dark as pitch, and from the shadows, you hear soft hissing, spitting, and an ominous chorus of weird rattling sounds. You approach with some trepidation, and peer between the bars. Your attention is seized by writhing forms on the straw bottom of the cage. As your eyes adjust to the gloom, you realize that the floor is seething with serpents, dark and colorful, languid and large, swift and small. You hear a sultry chuckle, and you see bright, unblinking emerald eyes staring at you from the corner of the cage. A woman crawls through the snakes, her scaled body as sinuous and lissome as the creatures that share her home. She reaches towards you languorously with her sharp-clawed hands and sighs.
A sensual blend of twisting, exotic, serpentine oils: black amber, oakmoss, green sandalwood, bergamot, jasmine sambac, gardenia, orange pulp, black cardamom, vanilla, blackberry, black musk, blackened vanilla husk, white honey, ti leaf, and ginger.
Strong as death, and cruel as the grave,
Clothed with cloud and tempest’s blackening breath,
Known of death’s dread self, whom none outbrave,
Strong as death,
Love, brow-bound with anguish for a wreath,
Fierce with pain, a tyrant-hearted slave,
Burns above a world that groans beneath.
Hath not pity power on thee to save,
Love? hath power no pity? Nought he saith,
Answering: blind he walks as wind or wave,
Strong as death.
Unloving love: benzoin, Indian musk, massoia bark, myrrh, ambrette seed, galbanum, bergamot, and fir.
The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal.
atflyaway –
The first couple times I opened the bottle I was immediately struck by an odd animal smell that I found very off-putting. I suspect it’s the champaca. But that particular scent doesn’t linger very long when you wear it. The black amber begins to stand out more, which is what I find appealing… a very deep, warm fragrance. With this one, a little goes a long way.
Azure –
Something old and known that lingers with us all. We try to deny it. Try to shy away from it until it comes. Yet the meeting is comforting and sweet. A needed release that comes with an embracive smile.
Old and ancient woods waft into the foreground. It seems nearly primal and always present in a way. Like something we cannot remove ourselves from. Layered with this is an honored and sacred scent of myrrh and black amber that gives a sense of reverence. The cumulation is something sincere and beautiful in a way that we all need.
Wearing this scent is a potent and lasting fragrance. It holds a throw that is medium to long and gives a pleasant wafting for any that are nearby.
When it is first applied to the skin, it is somewhat jarring and surprising in a way; 40-60 minutes after the dry down, it takes on a sweeter and more subtly pleasant appeal. I will admit that at first I was not certain I would want to wear this fragrance often, yet after a weekend of wear I can confidently say: this scent is most definitely something I needed in my lifetime.
ReallyZeb –
Since this arrived I’ve been struggling to pick anything else to wear at all. It’s old and dusty and endless and burrows right into my soul. When I try to separate the notes I end up with tears in my eyes because it is so damn beautiful. It’s the most beautiful blend I have ever owned. I wore it to my father’s funeral and it gave me comfort.