Arquiste

Arquiste Nanban Eau de Parfum

$195⁰⁰ NZD

Size

30ml 1ml Sample

An intoxicating incense and leather scent based on the ancient commercial trade between Asia, Europe and the Americas, with a spicy, sensual opening and a lush, robust incense base. Inspired by a 1618 voyage uniting East and West, Nanban transports you to the dark hull of a galleon full of exotic cargo.

January 1618, a Japanese galleon, the Pacific ocean. Following a diplomatic mission to the West, a galleon carrying a delegation of samurai charges through dark ocean currents. Loaded with a rare and precious cargo, the ship’s hull is redolent of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic ground spices - the intoxicating spirit of a singular, extraordinary voyage of discovery. Developed with Rodrigo Flores-Roux.

Description

Fragrance Family:
Woody Amber

Notes:
Malabar Black Pepper, Persian Saffron, Black Tea Accord, Chinese Osmanthus, Coffee Absolute, Spanish Leather, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Frankincense, Styrax, Copaiba Balsam, Cade

Concentration:
Eau de Parfum

Occasion:
A delirious blast of precious spices, smoky and aromatic, variegated and enticing. A bitter line of myrrh cuts through this, grounded with deep woods and leather.

Made in the USA

Editor's Notes

I have not encountered as much force as this in the opening of a perfume in a long while - echoing the wallop of some of the best masculine greats of the last century: Antaeus (Chanel, 1981) comes to mind, and perhaps more clearly, Yatagan (Caron, 1978), which shares a similar rush of spices and animalics in the opening. Nanban sits beside Oud for Love (The Different Company, 2012), Epic Man (Amouage, 2009), and Oriental Velours (Les Indemodables, 2016) from within the NOAH collection. It is unapologetic but not rude, out from the bottle with the extraordinary heat of black pepper and saffron, smoky with resins, balsams, coffee, and cade smoke, delightfully sharpened with the bitter tang of myrrh. Nanban is a dusty melange of aroma, like an old wooden chest storing precious goods in the cargohold of a battered ship; destined to become an antique. Echoes of tannic tea, sticky styrax and copaiba balsam, and knobbly tears of incense give the scent thickness and weight. It does not roar, though a leathery-animalic presence is unmissable. A little bit dangerous, and a whole lot of thrill.