THE SCENT OF ANCIENT GRECO-ROMAN SCULPTURE

Abstract

The use of perfumes for the human body as well as for creating scented environments is well documented in the ancient Mediterranean world. However, as this study will elucidate, perfumes were used not just for living human bodies, but also for ancient sculptures. In fact, not only were sculptures originally polychrome and adorned but in some cases they were also scented, which would have made the experience of them not only a visual but also an olfactory one. The present study thus seeks to combine two fields of research: ancient scents and perfumes with that of sculpture. As will be shown, this will broaden our knowledge of the use of perfumes in Antiquity as well as of our understanding of ancient sculpture.