Journal
Notes on the formulas in the register and the old incense books they come from.
Scent No. 04Elegant Orchid & Ambergris: dragon’s saliva, without the whaleElegant Orchid & Ambergris 蘭芳龍涎香: frankincense, agarwood, chuanxiong, rose and an ambergris accord. What the Song registers said about ambergris and rose water.
Scent No. 03Goose-Pear Canopy: the incense for inside the bed curtainsGoose-Pear Canopy 鵝梨帳中香: agarwood accord, sandalwood, goose pear, Pu’er tea. The Southern Tang bed-curtain incense, four old recipes, and two poets.
Scent No. 02Jasmine Snowfall: the flower that came from the westJasmine Snowfall 茉莉吹雪香: small-flowered jasmine over tea, with sandalwood. How jasmine reached southern China, and what Song incense makers did with it.
JournalThe materials register: twelve materials, two of them accordsEvery material in our four scented bead formulas: what it is, which formula uses it, whether it is the material itself or an accord, and what the Song incense registers said about it.
Scent No. 01Moonlit Osmanthus and the osmanthus monthMoonlit Osmanthus 伴月木樨香: osmanthus, sandalwood, benzoin and an agarwood accord. Where osmanthus got its names, and an old recipe for osmanthus beads.
JournalHexiang: blended incense, worn as beadsHexiang 合香 is Chinese blended incense: many aromatics powdered and combined into one scent. Song-dynasty registers record it burned, and worn as beads.