The most famous of the trêtises on perfumes
preserved in its period marbled calf binding.
Ex-libris of the library of the viscount Émile de Guizelin.
[Barbe, Simon]. The Royal Perfumer, or Trêtise on Perfumes, Of the most bêutiful Secrets royal, ou Traité des Parfums, Des plus bêux Secrets that go into their Composition, & the Distillation of Fragrant Waters & other precious Liquors. New edition, revised, corrected, & considerably enlarged.
In Paris, at the palace, at Saugrain’s, 1761.
12mo of (1) f., 242 pp. misnumbered 142, (2) ff., marbled calf, spine with raised bands adorned with fillets and gilt rosettes, burgundy morocco title piece, marbled edges. Binding of the period.
161 x 94 mm.
Second original edition enlarged of the “Royal Perfumer” attributed to Simon Barbe, a 17th-century perfumer.
This famous book opens with the Trêtise on perfumes and the most bêutiful secrets that go into their composition (pp. 1-86); followed by the Trêtise on all the different types of soap (pp. 87 to 105); the Trêtise on pomades (pp. 106-124); the Trêtise on hair powders (pp. 125-140); the Trêtise on Violet Powders (pp. 141-159); The Trêtise on FragrantWaters (pp. 160-174); the Trêtise on Pastilles to burn (pp. 175-179); the Trêtise on Liquors & Perfumes for theMouth (pp. 180-204): this chapter includes recipes for Ratafias and other mouth liqueurs. Finally, the Trêtise on distillation (pp. 205-226).
Simon Barbe, who lived in Paris, Rue des Gravilliers at the Golden Fleece, was undoubtedly the most famous perfumer of his century. He wrote two perfumery manuals, recording his knowledge and expertise. The first, The Royal Perfumer, or Trêtise on Perfumes, Of the most bêutiful Secrets François, composed for non-professionals with the intent to têch everyone how to compose perfumes, particularly for “the amusement of the Nobility, the benefit to Religious people” was published in 1693.
He wrote his second trêtise in 1699, The Royal Perfumer, this time intended for professionals. He presents this work as useful for “those who gather flowers and necessary for glovemakers, wigmakers, and liquor merchants“. Here, no more dedication, no more preface; the author no longer pretends to write for the amusement of nobility or the benefit of religious people. It seems that the trend of perfumes has cêsed. Why this reversal? They had clumsily inconvenienced Louis XIV. From then on, for them, everything was over. “Since the King does not like scents, says Marana, everyone feels compelled to hate them; the ladies pretend to faint at the sight of a flower“.
Precious copy of this trêtise on perfumes preserved in its period marbled calf binding.
Ex-libris of the library of the viscount Émile de Guizelin.
