Perfume bottles that embody the historical value of the frankincense tree are displayed in the National Museum

Embodying the historical value of the frankincense tree, the National Museum displays in the Land of Frankincense Gallery a collection of perfume bottles dating back to 1983 CE made of crystal, gold (24 carat) and silver. The collection stands as the first aromatic innovation of Amouage Perfumes Company, which bears the name (Amouage Gold), as for the bottle the men’s perfume its shape was inspired by the Omani dagger. As for the bottle of the women`s perfume, it has a cubic design plated with gold and engraved with delicate decorations, while the design of the bottle cap was inspired by the dome of the mosque. The perfumes were presented by late Sultan Qaboos bin Said to his guests. The three Fragrant flasks depict Oman`s three greatest natural treasures - namely frankincense, rose and amber - along with other rare ingredients. It worth mentioning that Frankincense was and still a bridge of communication and highly regarded globally.

The museum also displays a perfume bottle in the form of "Lily of the Valley" from 1931 CE, made of crystal, designed by "Rene Lalique" in Paris, the French Republic. The bottle contains a perfume named “Muscat-Paris” produced by Amouage, coinciding with the opening of the “Fragrant Journeys” exhibition, which is held in Bayt Greiza, which is administratively affiliated to the National Museum. Amouage collaborated with Givaudan, one of the world’s largest fragrance companies, and French perfume innovator Quentin Bisch to create the perfume. Muscat-Paris honours the bridge between the two capital cities of Oman and France through scent uniting majestic Omani Frankincense with the French Lily of the valley.

The inauguration was attended by His Excellency Jamal bin Hassan Al-Moosawi, Secretary-General of the National Museum, Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, Chairman of Amouage, Mr. Ayman bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Vice President of Amouage, and Marco Parsiegla, CEO of Amouage.

It is worth noting that the Land of Frankincense gallery in the National Museum sheds light on the natural conditions in which the frankincense tree naturally grows in Dhofar and in the international frankincense trade that emerged since the third millennium BCE and included links to Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley Civilisation and ancient Egypt. In recognition of the importance of the frankincense trade across the ages, four sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list: al-Baleed, Khor Rori (Sumhuram), Shisr (Ubar) and Wadi Dawkah.