The Lithuanian Museum of Education and BIOCOS perfumer, head of fragrance creation, Jolanta Cinaitienė invite you to a unique journey of fragrances in the exhibition. The perfumer has summarised her many years of research into botanical perfumery and recreated the historical perfumes that have been worn by some of the most prominent personalities in the world – the Egyptian Pharaoh Cleopatra, King Louis XIV of France, Queen Marie Antoinette, and the only Lithuanian-born queen of Lithuanian and Polish descent, Barbara Radvilaitė. In the 4D exhibition “Scents of History: from Cleopatra to Napoleon” at the Lithuanian Museum of Education, you can get to know the fragrances of 8 historical personalities, as well as the history of perfumery from the earliest times to the 19th century when synthetic molecules were introduced.
Perfumery is believed to have its origins in Ancient Egypt. The name of perfume (agly “perfume”) is derived from the Latin “per fumum” “through smoke”. The world’s oldest perfumes were made as early as 4000 years ago in the form of incense (called kyphi) from resins, spices, dried herbs, wine, honey, etc. These incense perfumes were used to incense hair and clothes, which absorbed the smell of smoke for a long time.
Until 2 June 2025, the exhibition “Scents of History: from Cleopatra to Napoleon” will be on display at the Kretinga Museum (Vilniaus str. 43, Kretinga).
From 4 June, the exhibition will be on display at the Suvalkija (Sūduva) Culture Centre-Museum (Dvaro g. 6, Paežeriai, Vilkaviškis district). The exhibition will run until 30 September 2025 (inclusive).
Here are some photos from the exhibition at the Kretinga Museum.
