Palais de Tokyo Incense

Discover Palais de Tokyo Incense by Astier de Villatte.

Overlooking the river seine, like a mysterious starship navigating the turbulence of artists’ imaginations, it commands the view. A captivating fragrance lingers between the raw cement walls of its wide, maze-like passageways, where a crowd of fervent and enlightened visitors gathers with anticipation: intoxicating hints of smoky wood, warm skin, and metallic vibrations. this scent contains essences of cedar wood, juniper, gaïac wood, oak moss, and cashmeran, designed in collaboration with christophe raynaud and the palais de tokyo.

The finest incense in the world is crafted on the island of awaji, thanks to its favourable climate. For over a thousand years, this art has been preserved by the koh-shis, or masters of aromas, a tradition passed down through generations. They expertly perform the four stages of production: measuring exclusively natural materials such as precious woods, herbs, plants, vegetable resins, and perfumes; kneading the dough, which is pressed, worked extensively, and left to rest for two weeks to absorb the fragrance; cutting the dough into narrow ribbons of the desired size; and finally, drying the incense in the west wind for three days before bundling it into sticks.