Tapputi, the King’s Perfumer
As the first perfume exists back to Ancient Egypt, the first perfurmer also existed a long time ago. Tapputi-Betlatekallim is the first perfumer recorded. She lived in Mesopotamia, specifically the Babylonian region, around 1200 BCE.
She held the title “Belatekallim,” which was an important role that involved heavy responsibility as she had to oversee the palace. She created perfumes with another woman called “Ninu” for the royal house and religious ceremonies. She developed the early distillation process, which was a major technological advancement.
Through distillation and filtration, she produced high-quality, long-lasting fragrances. She utilized other techniques like tinctures and cold fleurage to extract scents. She used ingredients like flowers, oils, and aromatic plants like cyperus and balsam. Despite the era’s restrictive views on women’s rights, she was able to achieve success, which is why her achievements are highly valued.
Recently, a team of Turkish scientists was able to recreate one of her perfumes recorded in ancient texts. The perfume used a combination of different flowers, oil, calamus, balsam, and other ingredients. After mixing this portion with water and other solvents, it would be distilled and filtered multiple times to create a purer perfume. This process required extensive research, particularly when translating the ancient texts. Her work remains a significant landmark in the history of perfumery.
