Armenian paper is a type of incense that has been produced for centuries. The paper is infused with essences, fragrances or essential oils in order to achieve a perfuming or cleansing effect. Examples of Armenian paper include Papier d'Arménie, which is produced in France, and Carta d'Armenia,[1] [2] which is produced in Italy. The scents from the French production is "Tradition", "Arménie" and "Rose".
At the end of the 19th century, Auguste Ponsot discovered that Armenian households would burn plants in the genus Styrax as a fragrance. Ponsot adopted this habit, and, with the help of the pharmacist Henri Rivier, created his own recipe wherein benzoin (resin) was dissolved in alcohol then let to soak into blotting paper. The product has been steadily produced in Montrouge, France since 1885. In 2006, during the Year of Armenia in France (Année de l'Arménie en France), the celebrated French perfumer of Armenian origin Francis Kurkdjian gave his own recreation of the historical recipe.[3]
The company Papier d'Arménie, based in Montrouge in the suburbs of Paris, has been managed by the co-founder's great grand-daughter, Mireille Schvartz, since 1991. By 2023, the company was producing 3.5 million booklets a year and exporting 15% of its production.[4]
Typically, a strip of Papier d'Arménie is torn from the booklet, folded accordion-style, and placed on a heat-resistant support. The strip is lit and blown on until the paper begins to glow and release the vanilla scent characteristic of resin compounds. The smell is pleasant and subtle. Traditionally, the product was sold as a disinfectant, though it has no such properties. This belief began with a demonstration in 1889 of burning Papier d'Arménie in a closed cylinder above a piece of raw meat, which spoiled less than a comparable untreated piece of meat after a week.[5] Today Papier d'Arménie is sold primarily as a form of incense or perfume, as a form of candle, or as a form of air freshener.
Papier d'Arménie has been found to release benzene and formaldehyde in a study of interior deodorizers conducted by a consumer's union. However the same study shows that of the 72 products tested, Papier d'Arménie presented the lowest rates. Normal use does not present a hazard; it is typical to burn 3 or 4 strips per week, and to air the area regularly.