Dunhuang
Parfum Prissana (2022)

Dunhuang is a dense, amberized orange-peel, more unguent-like than juicy. Suspended in this is a colorful mixture of dusty cocoa, black tea, honeyed white florals, twangy aldehydes, and an entire spice cupboard of sweet and savory spice (less “foody”, and more “herbal medicine shop”). Perhaps the most surprising element of this pantry-list of ingredients is that Dunhuang is not all that sweet: in fact a great deal less so than the typical niche amber.

I’m strongly reminded of the dearly departed Serge Lutens Mandarine Mandarin for its dense, savoury, resinous approach to orange and spices, but the piquant black tea and dry chocolate notes make this wholly original, and one of the most notable Prissanas.

I think if one wants a good representative of the Prissana house accord, this is one of his best; this being the “citrus”, along with Mandarava’s “floral”, and Karuna’s “resins”. They’re all sisters, and express different iterations of the aldehyde-orange-spice-amber-floral accord that goes into most Prissanas.

Dunhuang is a very attractive floral incense perfume with notes that are similar to Ayutthaya, however the primary object of fascination in Dunhuang are the florals instead of woods. Plum, rose, jasmine, osmanthus and magnolia construct the central theme that also contains warm spices that settle upon a light woods base of cedar, sandalwood, and amber. The overall character of this scent is a light floral incense that has woody and spicy qualities. The lapsang souchong and jasmine tea opening provides a nice warmth and depth in the early going, but the florals lift the scent to a higher octave through the heart. There is a feminine quality of the incense in here that comes out after the blending of: tea, florals, spices, amber and light woods. Nice one! Dunhuang is an early trading city and entry point along the Silk Road. Dunhuang also has a subtle Buddhist incense character.