For a long time, candles were an essential light source, but they weren’t particularly appealing as objects. In many early civilizations, candles were made from animal fat and burned with greasy, sooty smoke and a pungent sour smell; during the Middle Ages, several European cities even banned making them because of their polluting qualities. Early Japanese candles were an exception: They were made by boiling the fruit from cinnamon trees, and produced a sweet smell. These were the earliest “scented” This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Six Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 49 Object Matters A spotlight on commonplace books. Arts & Culture Design Issue 48 Object Matters A material history of the tote bag. Arts & Culture Issue 45 Object Matters A curious history of novelty objects. Arts & Culture Issue 43 Object Matters A fuzzy history of the carpet. Arts & Culture Issue 42 Object Matters A modest history of the codpiece. Arts & Culture Issue 41 Object Matters The strange, hermitic history of the garden gnome.
