A scented instrument? Nothing new!

Have you ever thought about an instrument that plays scents? While there's no evidence that such an instrument was ever actually constructed, the idea itself is astonishing. The June 1922 issue of the magazine "Science and Invention" featured a description of a rather strange, visionary instrument. Completely silent, it employed the sense of smell instead of hearing. The invention was based on the theories of Dr. Septimus Piesse, a French apothecary and perfumer, author of "The Art of Perfumery." Music as an illustration of olfactory sounds Piesse often used music as a method to illustrate how certain scents work together. How some scents can be played in harmony while others are disjointed and tiring to the ear. Finally, how the combination of certain scents creates a beautiful bouquet or a repulsive stench. Concert of scents The magazine drew inspiration from Piesse's concept and imagined a completely new kind of concert, where musicians played scents instead of sounds. To illustrate this, they printed an illustration by Frank R. Paul, depicting an elegant gentleman seated at an organ. In front of him are notes representing specific aromas, and above him are bottles that release these aromas. Smell organs The article explained the vision of the olfactory organ. Combining specific scents created a scent completely different from any perfume composition. In the case of delicate, soothing compositions, the scents blended harmoniously. In contrast, discordant aromas produced unpleasant effects and disappointed the audience. To date, there has been no confirmation that these peculiar, fragrant organs have been constructed. A challenge for contemporary designers?