LUOSHEN
*To be vaulted*
Available exclusively at AUPHORIE
Notes included:
Mandarin Orange, Roselle, Pomelo Peel, Pomelo Flower, “Lingbo Xianzi” Chinese Sacred Lily Narcissus, "Youlan" Orchids, "Moli" Jasmine, "Tumi" Wild Chinese Blackberry Rose, Iris Absolute, Orris Butter, Boronia, Luoyang Peony, Lotus Flower, Golden Osmanthus, Sichuan Pepper, Fragrant Herbs, Water Droplets, Riverbank Soil, Oakmoss, "Aina" Plum Tree Lichens, Amber, Aromatic Resins, Agarwood Oud, White Sandalwood, Ambergris, Musk
Format: Extrait
Perfumers: Eugene Au & Emrys Au
Size: 15ml Bottle
- EXTREMELY LIMITED -
Only one batch made. Cannot be re-created due to the specific vintages and types of custom-distilled natural extracts used in these scents. Once sold out, this product will be vaulted right away and will never be produced again.
Luoshen extrait is named after and inspired by one of the most influential and significant mythological figures in Chinese culture and history: Luoshen, the Goddess of the Luo River. According to lore, Luoshen was the daughter of Fuxi, one of the Three Sovereigns, who drowned in the Luo River and later reincarnated as the fluvial deity of the river. The myth and lore surrounding Luoshen have been sources of inspiration for numerous poets and artists, from ancient times to the present day, who have created various forms of literature, art, and performing arts that pay homage to the Goddess of the Luo River. Drawing from these wonderful works, we were greatly inspired and decided to create a work of olfactory art that vividly and comprehensively tells the story of Luoshen for the first time in the history of perfumery.
To elaborate on the theme of Luoshen through fine fragrance, we decided to construct the scent composition from different perspectives. When discussing Luoshen-inspired works, one immediately thinks of the rhymed prose "Luoshen Fu", also known as "The Rhapsody of Luoshen", written by Cao Zhi, a renowned poet and scholar from the Wei Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms Era, that vividly depicts his dreamy and astonishing encounter with the Goddess of the Luo River and his profound affection towards her. In this scent composition, we drew inspiration from Cao Zhi's rhymed prose and incorporated a series of raw materials mentioned by the writer. "The Rhapsody of Luoshen" was written by Cao Zhi in 222 CE when he was returning to his domain from a visit to Luoyang, the capital city of the Wei Kingdom, where he had an audience with his elder brother, the Emperor of Wei. As the sky darkened and he stopped by the bank of the Luo River to alleviate the fatigue of his journey, he suddenly saw an enchanting beauty appear by a rock in the river. Astonished, he asked his wagoner if he knew who the beauty was. The wagoner told him the lore of Luoshen and suggested that she could be the goddess herself. Curious, the wagoner requested Cao Zhi to describe the goddess. From this point, the writer began to portray Luoshen through rhymed prose. What's interesting about this rhymed prose is that the writer employed aromatic and scented imagery to create a vivid, multi-sensory depiction of Luoshen. Inspired by the writer's imagination, we extracted the scented imagery from the rhymed prose and transformed it into a real-life olfactory experience using meticulously selected raw materials to creatively depict Luoshen through fine fragrance. For instance, the writer described the goddess as "Amidst the fragrant allure of youlan orchids so fine; She hesitates, wandering in the mountain's confine… While beneath the osmanthus flag, shade serene is thine." The writer also portrayed the goddess as "She emerges like a radiant lotus, amidst rippling waves” and “Her unspoken words held, aura akin to youlan's grace." When the goddess strolled on land, "She walks upon the path of Sichuan pepper's fiery embrace; Her steps, a gentle caress, exude the fragrance of herbal grace." When the goddess moved on the water, "As she treads on ripples, steps gossamer and small; Her silk socks splashing, droplets as fine as dust befall." This famous sentence from Cao Zhi's rhymed prose further inspired many writers and artists of later eras to not only create a variety of works about Luoshen but also become the source of inspiration for naming a particular species of flower. During the Northern Song Dynasty in 1101 CE, Huang Tingjian, one of the greatest scholars and writers of the time, wrote a poem about the Chinese sacred lily narcissus, describing it as "A deity treading on ripples with grace; Socks splashing droplets, dust-like embrace." Since then, the Chinese sacred lily narcissus has been known as "lingbo xianzi", influenced by Huang Tingjian's poetry. In fact, he was the first person to associate the narcissus with the goddess Luoshen, paying homage to Cao Zhi and his portrayal of the fluvial deity. The narcissus was introduced to China during the Tang Dynasty via the Silk Road and became one of the mainstream flowers during the Song Dynasty, where it was widely cultivated in Jingzhou, Hubei at the time. The poet Huang Tingjian was inspired by the flower when he visited Jingzhou and was given 50 stalks of the local specialty narcissus by his friend Wang Chongdao. Inspired by the poet's imaginative portrayal of the narcissus with imagery of Luoshen, we introduced a specially curated natural extract of the Chinese sacred lily narcissus into this scent composition, merging the essences of these two great poets from different eras and creating our very own olfactory rendition of Luoshen by making the narcissus one of the main featured notes in the scent composition. In addition to the aforementioned materials and notes, we also introduced a selection of fine materials to enrich the image of Luoshen and create a more vivid and three-dimensional olfactory portrayal. These materials include "Moli" flower extract which is the Chinese variety of sambac jasmine, Chinese pomelo flower and pomelo peel, irone-rich iris absolute and orris butter, as well as precious boronia extract. All of these materials contribute a refined, rich, elegant, and graceful touch to the bouquet, echoing the portrayal of Luoshen in Cao Zhi's rhymed prose. As Luoyang city derived its name from the Luo River, which flows south of the city, we introduced an eccentric natural extract of Luoyang peony into the scent composition as a tribute to the land where the goddess Luoshen reincarnated. Additionally, notes of lichens and riverbank soil add an earthy touch, as well as classical richness and depth to the composition, juxtaposing with the refined floral heart notes. Apart from using natural oakmoss extract, we utilized a unique extract of a type of lichens grown on Chinese plum trees, known as "Aina" in Chinese, which is one of the primary ingredients in many classical Chinese incense formulations. This lends a unique delicate note of Chinese plum to the scent composition. In the final paragraph of Cao Zhi's "The Rhapsody of Luoshen", the writer expressed his strong emotions as he found it difficult to part with the goddess when she bid farewell and reluctantly left in her carriage, accompanied by sacred beasts, as dawn was about to break. To translate the writer's emotions into an olfactory language, we introduced a specially curated extract of the "Tumi" flower, also known as the wild Chinese blackberry rose, native to China. In Chinese culture, the "Tumi" flower is regarded as the last flower to bloom in spring, symbolizing farewells and valedictions. In the scent composition, we incorporate a natural "Tumi" flower extract to olfactorily and symbolically depict the final parting scene between the writer and the goddess. Additionally, roselle, known as "the flower of Luoshen" in Chinese, is added to the composition, further elaborating on the theme of Luoshen. Finally, as the epilogue of this scent composition unfolds, the symphony of all these meticulously selected notes harmoniously settles on a luxuriously crafted foundation inspired by the ancient art of classical Chinese incense. Each material, from the resplendent richness of amber to the intoxicating allure of aromatic resins, from the enthralling essence of agarwood oud to the serene redolence of white sandalwood, from the enigmatic depths of ambergris to the lasting embrace of musk, weaves together a unique sensation of olfactory artistry while adding a majestic grand finale to the ethereal portrayal of the revered Goddess of the Luo River.
It is normal to have some sediments/separations in this scent due to the nature of the raw materials used. Just gently shake well before applying it.
Pre-order offer ended. All orders placed after the pre-order offer deadline will NOT be entitled to receiving pre-order special gift.
