Fire And Ice Dresses 2010

The mystery of the apple of amber

The idea for the month of January:
prolong the scent of Christmas
teas and cakes with spices
and simultaneously clean the house

without resorting to chemical distributors ...

The apple of amber *

* the mystery of its origin:

cf see bottom of the article: more info.

you need:

• thick-skinned citrus
• cloves
• needle
• a plate to collect the juice
• of masking tape or scotch tape on the width of your ribbon
• decorative ribbon

Steps:

• Share orange for 4 quarters by crossing the sticky paper or tape (it is best to do so rather than directly with the ribbon could be soaked with juice and dirty)

• Above the plate, prick with a needle zones in these holes and insert cloves in spacing them a bit since the orange dries will shrink by a third.

• Wait a bit before removing the masking tape and replace it with your decorative ribbon.

• Put the orange in a paper bag style grocery and dry in a warm dry place for 2 weeks at least.
  must Orange is dry or it rots.
• You can hang in a room or in your cupboards to scent and clean air.
• It retains its properties during the year but you can treat her perfume shaking in a bag containing spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger ...) and / or oils Essential and some iris powder, perfume fixative found in herbal and pharmaceutical.

Close your eyes, breathe ...

Have fun!

The true apple of amber:

Initially, the apple of amber unrelated

with orange stitched we know.

It dates from the Middle Ages.

At that time, the perfume in the West knows

a step back: a symbol of frivolity of the pagan world, the profane use of scents is sentenced

by the Church imposes rigor .

But gradually as the Crusaders returning from their distant expeditions in the East, they relate cosmetics and fragrances: rose water, amber, spices ....

But the arrival of the plague that struck France

full force in 1348 decimated in recent years

a quarter of Europe's population

promote extensive use of perfumes.

But suspecting the water to open pores

air plague, doctors advise to use,

to clean, the purifying and protective

flavoring.

They are found in many forms:
powders, lotions, syrups, perfume boxes,
"birdies in cyprus (perfumed paste-like bird),
are supposed to block the entry of foul air. The accessory of the most sophisticated aromatherapy
is probably the "sweet potato" or "pomander".



Eastern in origin, is a ball of gold or silver, often encrusted with pearls and precious stones
that was worn as a pendant or his belt.

He lent healing but also aphrodisiacs.
But the apple of amber, because of its price, is reserved for kings, princes and wealthy.
People of more modest simply filled with scents of apple ingredients less rare
(aloe, camphor, basil, dried mint)
or even a simple sponge soaked in vinegar.

transmitted from generation to generation,

the pomanders were indeed much more than

objects to perfume: it gave them magical powers to protect the forces of evil and disease.

The princes and nobles made great use,

as priests and doctors who had

their presence to guard against contagion.

Portrait of Jan van Egmond Gerritz ,
Jacob Cornelisz von Oostsanen, 1518.

The end of XVII see these powers ridiculed.

They are more likely than coquetry

and their heady scent heavy and are supposed

serve the art of seduction.

They go out of fashion in mid-eighteenth century .

*

You should also know that until the first half of the twentieth , orange fruit was a luxury and often offered
as a Christmas children .

Its culture tank has long been a symbol of power.
He even dedicated specialized buildings: the orange groves.

Orangerie de Versailles

So how we arrived at
orange quilted called "apple"?

If someone has the answer ...