"Décapitation" by Femme No. 5 – New perfume inspired by historic queen unveiled in York
Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII who was said to have had an illicit liaison during her visit to York in 1541, is the inspiration of a new perfume being revealed in York, UK, today at Barley Hall as part of its ‘Power & Glory: York in the Time of Henry VIII’ exhibition.
The perfume, called ‘Décapitation’ features scents that would have been in use by the nobility in the mid-16thcentury, including strong tones of rose, lemon, violet, cherry and musk to create a sensual fragrance designed to make a virile Tudor male lose his head – as did the subject of Catherine’s affair, Thomas Culpeper.
The Barley Hall team worked with historic researchers and specialist European perfumiers to create the unique fragrance that they believe captures the essence of the femme fatale whose alleged affair led to the execution of both Culpeper and herself, crushing the infamous king’s spirit and perhaps bursting his bubble of self-belief as the most eligible bachelor in the land.
“The Tudors were strong proponents of the idea that ‘cleanliness was next to Godliness’, so whilst the streets of 16th century York would have been unpleasantly odorous – and clothes would often be washed in water polluted with butchers’ waste and sewage – the higher social classes took great care to keep their bodies fresh smelling, with herbs and flowers sometimes added to the bath water,” comments director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, the owners of Barley Hall, Sarah Maltby.
The perfume has been designed to have a clear, innocent rose fragrance on first application – like the metaphorical mask that Catherine would have worn when she was with her husband – which fades to reveal a truly sensual fragrance as it mingles with the wearer’s own body chemistry.
The components of the fragrance
Rose: Henry VIII described Catherine as his ‘rose without a thorn’, and it was the most fashionable perfume of the day
Violet: An essential flower for any true femme fatale, in Tudor England, the violet represented death and bereavement
Lemon: Lemons were more widely available in the late Tudor period, with some almanacs suggesting that the acid fruit symbolised a broken betrothal.
White musk: This is the modern counterpart of deer musk, which was a common base in Tudor perfumes, and thought to be an aphrodisiac in Tudor times
Cherry blossom: Representing star-crossed love – the perfect undertone for Catherine’s perfume.
The perfume will be available to sample for visitors to Barley Hall throughout the summer. “Though we don’t want to cause our visitors to embark on an illicit affair after experiencing the intoxicating bouquet, we hope that it will set the scene for those visiting York this summer to feel fully immersed in the city’s rich history on this sensual journey through time,” adds Sarah. “The perfume will be regularly diffused into the room where we have displays of dresses from major costume dramas, and a replica of Catherine Howard’s dress from the Hever Castle collection.
The exhibition in Barley Hall continues the story told across The JORVIK Group’s other attractions, the Richard III and Henry VII Experiences at Monk Bar and Micklegate Bar. Visitors can now explore the story of the fall of the Plantagenets and rise of the Tudors from 1483 to 1547 with the York Medieval Pass, which includes entry to all three attractions.
Admission prices are £6.00 for adults, £4.50 for concessions and £3.00 for children with family tickets available for £15.00 (two adults and two children) or £17.50 (two adults and three children). The York Medieval Pass costs £8.00 for adults, £6.00 for concessions and £4.50 for children, with family tickets available for £22.75 (two adults and two children) or £23.75 (two adults and three children).
For further information, please visit www.barleyhall.co.uk
ENDS
Notes to editors: A limited number of samples of Décapitation are available for journalists on a first-come-first-served basis. Hi-res photos are available from http://news.cision.com/the-jorvik-group-of-attractions
For further media information or photographs, please contact:
Jay Commins
Pyper York Limited
Tel: 01904 500698
Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk
