Palais d’Hiver Incense

Discover Palais d’Hiver Incense by Astier de Villatte.

An icy mist drifts over the Neva, and suddenly, the rising sun illuminates the grand facade of the Winter Palace. Through its tall windows, sunlight bathes the stucco and gilded ballrooms in warmth. The air is rich with the scent of the tsarinas, a heady blend of musky patchouli mingled with the sumptuous perfume of white flowers. This fragrance contains essences of vetiver, patchouli, orange blossom, ylang ylang, virginia cedar, and white musk.

The finest incense in the world is crafted on the island of Awaji, thanks to its ideal climate. For over a thousand years, this art has been preserved by the koh-shis, or masters of aromas, a tradition handed down through generations. They expertly perform the four stages of production: measuring natural materials like precious woods, herbs, plants, vegetable resins, and perfumes; kneading the dough, which is pressed, worked extensively, and left to rest for two weeks to absorb the fragrance; cutting the dough into narrow ribbons of the desired size; and finally, drying the incense in the west wind for three days before bundling it into sticks.