A Tale of Two Times: Edo Japan Encounters the European Clock
In country that followed a time-keeping system with variable hours, the fixed-hour clock of the Europeans had only symbolic value.
Plant of the Month: Agarwood
Agarwood has long been prized for its olfactory splendor. Its essential oil is even known as liquid gold today.
When Royals Perfumed Themselves with the Excretions of Musk Deer and Civet Cats
In the era of Louis XV, it was fashionable to drench oneself in “animal scents.”
Why Ottoman Sultans Locked Away Their Brothers
Fratricide among rival princes was legal and widely practiced until 1603, so confinement to the palace was actually an improvement.