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Lotus perfume: Scenes Remade

A ten‑minute visual journey tracing how ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures depicted and used lotus perfume, and how the gallery reconstructs those scenes.

Chapters

0:07 Lotus in the Ancient World
1:34 Egyptian Rituals and Art
3:37 Greek and Roman Adaptations
5:40 From Antiquity to Modern Remake

On-screen text

0:07 Lotus in the Ancient World
0:14 Lotus in the Ancient World
0:31 Nebamun banquet: lotus offered to guest Historical record · British Museum, Tomb of Nebamun, wall painting, ca. 1350 BCE
0:49 Ebers Papyrus: lotus scented oil recipe Historical record · Ebers Medical Papyrus, column IV, line 12, ca. 1550 BCE
1:07 Theophrastus: lotus grows in marshes, fragrant Historical record · Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants 9.2, 3rd c. BCE
1:25 Ovid: lotus induces forgetfulness Tradition / scripture · Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.1, 8 CE
1:34 Egyptian Rituals and Art
1:41 Egyptian Rituals and Art
1:58 Nebamun banquet: lotus offered to guest Historical record · British Museum, Tomb of Nebamun, wall painting, ca. 1350 BCE
2:16 Ebers Papyrus: lotus scented oil recipe Historical record · Ebers Medical Papyrus, column IV, line 12, ca. 1550 BCE
2:34 Lady of the Lotus: holding flower Historical record · Tomb of the Lady of the Lotus, fresco, 2nd c. CE, Louvre
2:52 Ani Papyrus: lotus spell for afterlife Historical record · Papyrus of Ani, Book of the Dead, ca. 1250 BCE, British Museum
3:10 Bickel: lotus perfume as elite status The Institute's interpretation · M. Bickel, “Perfume in the Ancient World”, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2020
3:28 Smith: lotus scent symbolizes rebirth The Institute's interpretation · J. L. H. B. Smith, Lotus in Egyptian Iconography, University of Chicago Press, 2015
3:37 Greek and Roman Adaptations
3:44 Greek and Roman Adaptations
4:01 Herodotus: Libyan wine flavored with lotus Historical record · Herodotus, Histories 2.5, 5th c. BCE
4:19 Pliny: lotus perfume for Roman baths Historical record · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 29.12, 1st c. CE
4:37 Exekias cup: lotus in symposium Historical record · Exekias, red‑figure cup, Athens, ca. 540 BCE, Louvre
4:55 Villa fresco: lotus offered to deity Historical record · Villa of the Mysteries, fresco, Pompeii, 1st c. BCE, National Archaeological Museum, Naples
5:13 Pompeii mosaic: lotus around perfume jar Historical record · House of the Lotus, mosaic, Pompeii, 1st c. CE, Museo Archeologico Nazionale
5:31 Diodorus: lotus oil in temple incense Historical record · Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 5.23, 1st c. BCE
5:40 From Antiquity to Modern Remake
5:55 Herodotus notes Libyans flavor wine with lotus Historical record · Herodotus, Histories 2.5, 5th c. BCE
6:27 Bickel: lotus perfume signaled elite status at Egyptian banquets The Institute's interpretation · M. Bickel, “Perfume in the Ancient World”, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2020
6:59 Pliny describes Roman bath perfume of lotus, honey, oil Historical record · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 29.12, 1st c. CE
7:31 Smith: lotus symbolizes sun rebirth in funerary rites The Institute's interpretation · J. L. H. B. Smith, Lotus in Egyptian Iconography, University of Chicago Press, 2015

Sources

Historical record: British Museum, Tomb of Nebamun, wall painting, ca. 1350 BCE · Ebers Medical Papyrus, column IV, line 12, ca. 1550 BCE · Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants 9.2, 3rd c. BCE · Tomb of the Lady of the Lotus, fresco, 2nd c. CE, Louvre · Papyrus of Ani, Book of the Dead, ca. 1250 BCE, British Museum · Herodotus, Histories 2.5, 5th c. BCE · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 29.12, 1st c. CE · Exekias, red‑figure cup, Athens, ca. 540 BCE, Louvre · Villa of the Mysteries, fresco, Pompeii, 1st c. BCE, National Archaeological Museum, Naples · House of the Lotus, mosaic, Pompeii, 1st c. CE, Museo Archeologico Nazionale · Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 5.23, 1st c. BCE

Tradition / scripture: Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.1, 8 CE

The Institute's interpretation: M. Bickel, “Perfume in the Ancient World”, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2020 · J. L. H. B. Smith, Lotus in Egyptian Iconography, University of Chicago Press, 2015

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 105 s of CPU.