Stora Skuggan SILPHIUM eau de parfum Fragrance Vault

Silphium was a 2017 release by Swedish house Stora Skuggan, and perfumers Tomas Hempel and Olle Hemmendorff. This amber spicy fragrance has an aromatic profile of warm spicy, fresh spicy, amber, aromatic, woody, herbal, and rose.

Silphium Accords, Cistus

Cinnamon, Tobacco, Geranium, Black Pepper, Ginger, Clove

Frankincense, Cedarwood, Myrrh, Leather

“‘Even if one just tastes it, at once arouses a humour throughout the body and has a very healthy aroma” – Pedanius Dioscorides, around year 70 BC

Silphium (probably of the genus Ferula) was a plant that grew in the area of Cyrene, present day Libya, and was widely renowned as a spice, medicinal herb and perfume ingredient throughout the empires of the classical antiquity. It was praised by Greek philosophers and writers, as well as Roman emperors and cookbook authors.

There were many attempts to cultivate Silphium, but they inevitably failed. It would only grow wild in a limited area of the north African coast. This, in combination with its qualities as seasoning and medicine made Silphium the most valuable spice in the world, outshining both saffron and cinnamon. The demand for Silphium eventually became so overwhelming that it was harvested to extinction, and the taste and smell of the once greatest spice in the world were lost in time.

Our rendition of this historical plant is created by researching surviving assumed relatives of Silphium, using aromachemicals (the molecular building blocks of scents) to create an accord that we feel represents what descriptions remains. This is set against a background of ancient incense, woods and leather.”

Note: Samples are sold by the 1ml. You may purchase up to 2ml. Samples of 1ml or less will come in a glass vial with a dabber. Samples larger than 1ml will come in small glass spray bottles. All samples will be consolidated unless expressly requested otherwise.

Fragrance Vault is an official stockist of Stora Skuggan.