The story of Oud is amazing! with over 3000 years of impressive history; its use and trade started in China, Japan, India and the Middle East. At that time, only the kings, emperors and wealthy people could afford it and enjoy its magical scent and medicinal properties.
1,000 BC. The time of pyramids and pharaohs, the Ancient Egyptians used it in their rituals to embalm the corpses of the privileged families.
Between 900 and 600 BC. Agarwood was mentioned in the Sushruta Samhita, a Sanskrit (old Hindu) text about medicine and surgery, and noted in the biography of a North Indian emperor (Harshacharita) in 700 BC.
600 BC. Xuanzang, a Buddhist monk from China, describes the use of aloeswood to write down the most sacred texts.
600 BC. In Japan, the Japanese Chronicles, or Nihon Shoki, the second oldest book about the classical History of Japan, mentions the existence of aloeswood, after finding a piece of wood, identified as coming from Pursat, in Cambodia, because of its typical smell of the aloeswood from this region. This piece of wood still exists; it belongs to the national museum of Nara. It is shown to the public less than ten times per century, to avoid any damage.
300 BC. In Ancient China, the Nan Zhou Yi Wu Zhi Chronicles (the strange things came from the South) written by Wa Zhen of the Wu dynasty, mentions aloeswood (Agarwood). Later on, we discovered that the affluent families of Ancient China were using agarwood to make coffins of the deceased.
30-36 AD. The Bible tells us that Nicodemus gave “a roll of myrrh and aloes” weighing approximately 33kg or 100 Roman pounds, in preparing the body of Jesus Christ. Today this would have cost Nicodemus a costly sum, “aloes” otherwise known as Oud was ounce for ounce more valuable than gold in Biblical times. Oud still remains just as valuable today.
200 AD. The Buddhists started using aloeswood or oud wood to make their Mala (long bracelets or necklaces made of 108 wooden beads). Buddha states the fragrance of burning Agarwood is the “state of nirvana”.
800 AD. The use of oud for its medicinal properties features in the Muslim Hadith Qudsi. The Prophet Muhammad would perform the ancient cultural tradition of fumigating with the scent of Agarwood, this practice is still followed today in Islamic culture.
1610 – 1643 AD. King Louis XIV of France would have his clothes soaked in a blend of boiling rose water and oud oil.
2002 AD – Today. Right now the multi-billion-dollar luxury fragrance and cosmetics industries like LMVH have an insatiable demand for Oud Oil, driven mainly by high-end consumers preferring natural organic ingredients in skincare products and uniquely scented perfume creations.
