Armenian paper is a type of

incense Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...

that has been produced for centuries. The paper is infused with essences, fragrances or

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

s in order to achieve a perfuming or cleansing effect. Examples of Armenian paper include Papier d'Arménie, which is produced in France, and Carta d'Armenia, which is produced in Italy. The scents from the French production are "Tradition", "Arménie" and "Rose".

History

At the end of the 19th century, Auguste Ponsot discovered that Armenian households would burn plants in the genus ''

Styrax ''Styrax'' (common names storax or snowbell) is a genus of about 130 species of large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, mostly native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the majority in eastern ...

'' as a fragrance. Ponsot adopted this habit, and, with the help of the pharmacist Henri Rivier, created his own recipe wherein

benzoin (resin) Benzoin or benjamin (corrupted pronunciation) is a balsamic resin obtained from the bark of several species of trees in the genus '' Styrax''. It is used in perfumes and some kinds of incense and as a flavoring and medicine (see tincture of b ...

was dissolved in alcohol then let to soak into blotting paper. The product has been steadily produced in

Montrouge Montrouge () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased agai ...

, France since 1885. In 2006, during the Year of Armenia in France (''Année de l'Arménie en France''), the celebrated French perfumer of Armenian origin

Francis Kurkdjian Francis Kurkdjian (born 14 May 1969) is a French perfumer and businessman of Armenian descent. He is best known for creating the men's fragrance Le Male for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995, which has become one of the world's best-selling men’s fra ...

gave his own recreation of the historical recipe. The company Papier d'Arménie, based in

in the suburbs of Paris, has been managed by the co-founder's great grand-daughter, Mireille Schvartz, since 1991. By 2023, the company was producing 3.5 million booklets a year and exporting 15% of its production.

Use

Typically, a strip of Papier d'Arménie is torn from the booklet, folded accordion-style, and placed on a heat-resistant support. The strip is lit and blown on until the paper begins to glow and release the vanilla scent characteristic of resin compounds. The smell is pleasant and subtle. Traditionally, the product was sold as a disinfectant, though it has no such properties. This belief began with a demonstration in 1889 of burning Papier d'Arménie in a closed cylinder above a piece of raw meat, which spoiled less than a comparable untreated piece of meat after a week. Today Papier d'Arménie is sold primarily as a form of incense or perfume, as a form of candle, or as a form of air freshener. Papier d'Arménie has been found to release

benzene Benzene is an Organic compound, organic chemical compound with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar hexagonal Ring (chemistry), ring with one hyd ...

and

formaldehyde Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is an organic compound with the chemical formula and structure , more precisely . The compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde. It is stored as ...

in a study of interior deodorizers conducted by a consumer's union. However the same study shows that of the 72 products tested, Papier d'Arménie presented the lowest rates. Normal use does not present a hazard; it is typical to burn 3 or 4 strips per week, and to air the area regularly.

References

External links

"Papier d'Arménie"
Monapart Barcelona, Barcelona, March 25, 2010. {{Armenia topics Incense Culture of Armenia