AGARWOOD SPECIMEN I

Regular price $400.00
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Botanical:   Aquilaria malaccensis
Harvest:     Sustainably harvested
Plant Part:  Infected wood, hand carved
Source:       India

Olfactive experience
Dynamic, rich, floral, animalic, smooth, beautiful

Feel
Wild, free, multidimensional, transformative

This noble wood - this way of incense - represents unchanged fragments of the past. This one of a kind hand sculpted large Agarwood specimen can accessed time and time again, measures 14.25” x 1”

It unleashes a veritable universe of scents into the atmosphere, as soft as they are wild and brimming with nuance, connecting us to a higher spirituality as well as our primitive self.

Agarwood embodies the quiet allure of the invisible. It is, in its essence, a form of protection. This fragrant, valuable wood of the Aquilaria species is the mother of oud oil, which forms with the activation of secondary plant metabolites that protect the tree from destruction, damage, or fungal invasion. 

Traditionally used as medicine, in meditation, and in Japanese koh-do ceremonies, where wisdom and spiritual insights are often received from the smoke of the kindled wood, this rare wood is especially coveted for its use in perfume and as incense. In Middle Eastern countries Oud, or agarwood, is enkindled upon hot charcoal and the aromatic smoke perfumes the beholder’s clothing and hair, imparting an impressionable aroma with great tenacity that is known for its aphrodisiac and psychoactive properties.

Also referred to as aloeswood, oudh, and eaglewood, wild agarwood trees have been harvested to the brink of extinction. Bio Alchemy Olfactive’s agarwood is grown on sustainable plantations in northeastern India. When harvested, the infected dark wood, which forms irregularly in patches on the tree, is pared away by hand from the healthy, scentless wood using specialized tools, producing a dark, resinous sculpture of the wood.

Burning chips of oud captures the complex essence of the wood in its completeness. To use, break off a small piece and set atop hot charcoal. More fragrant smoke will be produced by placing a larger piece of incense on the smouldering ember. To perfume yourself with the fragrant smoke, allow your clothing, hair and body to be infused with the smoke itself.  Open your nose and listen to the wood, whose complex profile suggests everything from darkness to spring blossoms. 

17.99g

A collaboration with nature

We believe in fostering curiosity and reverence for nature’s biodiversity, employing a scientific and holistic approach to our creations that inspires a reconnection with our most primordial sense and elicits a shift in consciousness.

Nature is our ultimate guide

With profound admiration for botanical species native to climate zones across the world, we strive to spread awareness about the need to conserve the beautiful lands that allow these plants to thrive while giving back to local and indigenous communities that have cultivated them for centuries.

Conscious sourcing

To ensure efficacy and an experience of the highest quality Bio Alchemy Olfactive travels the world to source each botanical ingredient and offering, working closely with farmers, ethnobotanists, harvesters, distillers, and surrounding communities.

Traceability and sustainability are integral to our work. The botanical materials that make up our collection are sourced with an eye towards sustainable growth practices, mindful cultivation and extraction, and reverence for the cultural traditions that have dictated their use for centuries.

All products are formulated in Bio Alchemy Olfactive’s private lab with exclusively sourced ingredients. Each bottle is hand poured, labeled and packaged. Our packaging, from shipping boxes, water activated tape, and protective wrap to shipping labels are plastic free and made from 100% post consumer waste with recycled ink, making them fully recyclable and naturally biodegradable. No forests are damaged in production.

Products packaged in glass vials are intended for reuse and are tied with hand spun natural Peruvian alpaca twine from the women of a small community with whom we work.

We prioritize eco-friendly and responsibly sourced packaging materials in effort to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible.

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