In every artist’s studio there is a shelf concealing something vital and unique. For painters these are the pads with pencil sketches that freeze a movement or an expression at its precise moment in time. For musicians they are the scores cancelled and rewritten a thousand times in the search for perfect harmony. For perfumers there is a cache of niche compositions… bouquets of special aromas that only a select few can appreciate, conveying the purest emotions, without mediation and without compromise. Acqua di Sardegna has chosen to unveil that hidden shelf, to tell the story of a savage and inaccessible land, of a population bold and loyal who proudly keep alive centuries-old traditions. This secret trove gave rise to the first artistic collection: Sandalia.
The mystical folktales portray Sardinia’s formation, explaining that God, after creating the world and having some rocks and a little clay left over, threw everything into the sea and trampled it with his foot. The land took on a resemblance to the sole of his shoe, a sandal, and the name Sandalia, from the Latin Sandaliotis – meaning sandal-shaped – became the ancient name of Sardinia.
An intrigue is aroused by the elegant silk-covered casket containing a dramatic, sensual bottle in shiny black glass reminiscent of obsidian, the volcanic rock found abundantly in Sardinia. The cap, inspired by a pebble rounded smooth by the undertow, adds an organic element to this sculptural vessel.
The exquisite essences within are ultimately revealed, six unique olfactory masterpieces created with rare and precious ingredients. The intense aroma of Sardinia’s gilded yellow flowers, saffron; the sweet aromatic scent of fig leaves, moist and green with nuances of musky wood; the fresh salty accord of seaweed. With each scent we embark on a journey, taking us back in time… to the historical archaeology of Sardinia, Italy’s oldest land. We are transported to a terrain of stone and wind, with striking, diverse landscapes secreted in desolation, displaying thousands of monuments evoking its glorious past. The odyssey continues, enflaming our excitement and fascination. The name of each fragrance invites us to discover the mysterious meaning behind the symbol majestically representing it.
