Communicating Sacred Meanings Through Perfumes: From the Bible to Current Times

Pietro Lattao () and Lorenzo Cantoni
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Pietro Lattao: USI – Università della Svizzera italiana
Lorenzo Cantoni: USI – Università della Svizzera italiana

A chapter in Fashion Communication in the Digital Age, 2026, pp 69-82 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Perfumes have been extensively used in religious contexts, stimulating memories, suggesting meanings and promoting inner motions in a vertical movement from human beings to God. The paper re-traces the role of perfumes within the Biblical tradition and within the Christian message, highlighting its role in cultural practices, as well as a signifier of a pure orientation toward Heaven. Such role has been constantly in dialogue with perfumery practices and ingredients, creating a very rich and nuanced olfactory language. The research adopts a qualitative method to explore these dimensions. While in current times perfumes appear less linked with religion or religious practices, it keeps several active links with them, as highlighted in the second part of the paper, which presents a dialogue with two major experts, exploring how current perfumes and practices have been deeply inspired and influenced by such tradition.

Keywords: Perfumes; Cosmetics; Olfactory communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-99481-4_6

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-99481-4_6

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