Return of the Mummy: Reconstructing the Past with Scent (in person)

Fragrance was deeply interwoven into the spiritual, healing and aesthetic traditions of ancient Egypt. Mummification assured that the deceased was enveloped in a divine fragrance for a beautiful afterlife.

This class will sample and discuss materials commonly employed in Egyptian mummification including resins, spices, bitumen, beeswax and the legendary blue lotus often used in mummy garlands.

Topics include archeobotany and the use of chromatography to analyze mummy remains, trade routes for aromatics in antiquity, incense resins and the aroma of the gods, and Egyptomania in the history of modern perfumery including a discussion of the legendary Djedi by Guerlain (1927).

Smell along with the stories in the Institute for Art and Olfaction lab with samples of floral natural materials and accords.

Instructor: J. W. Dotson

Cost: $45.00

Duration: 2 hours

Attendance cap: 14 people

About J. W. Dotson

J.W. Dotson MD is a psychiatrist and an independent scholar fascinated by scent sorcery, cultural and anthropological olfaction studies, ethnobotany, premodern medicine, medical astrology, and astrological magic and remediation. James has presented esoteric fragrance lectures as part of The Scent and Society series at the Institute for Art and Olfaction and is a recurring speaker for The Salem Witchcraft and Folklore Festival and Morbid Anatomy. He is currently an instructor at The Celestial Arts Education Library and serves on the Advisory Board of the Archive of Healing.

Registration Required:

Please note that you must reserve your space in advance. If you just show up without reserving a spot, there is no guarantee we will be able to accommodate you.

All levels are welcome, but this session is 18 and up (or 14+, with adult supervision).

Please review our cancellation policy before signing up.

Materials:

Handouts and materials are included in the sign-up cost, and provided by the IAO during class.

Location:

We are located in Los Angeles’ historic Chinatown neighborhood, on a pedestrian street.

Street Address: 932 Chung King Road Los Angeles CA. 90012

To find us: Chung King Road is a pedestrian-only road that runs parallel to Hill Street, between Hill St and Yale St. See more information here: http://artandolfaction.com/visit

Attendance and Refund Policy

This is an in-person class that will take place at the Institute for Art and Olfaction. Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds or credit for this class. Note also that event tickets are non-transferable.

Thank you!