Frankincense

Oman’s Gift to the World

By Juliet Highet, a photographer and author who has lived and worked in nearly 50 countries. Published by Prestel in December 2006, the hard-back edition runs to 176 pages with 141 colour illustrations.

In the common consciousness, Frankincense is inextricably linked to the Christian nativity story; one of the gifts brought to the infant Jesus by the three kings. That’s about as far as it goes, most people do not know where it comes from, what it looks like or – even – what it smells like.

The author brings together all of the threads of the frankincense story from its origins, through its impact on history to how it is used today in many of the most expensive perfumes in the world. This book contains some stunning photography of the people and landscapes linked to the story.

Frankincense grows on trees in the South of Oman. Well, that’s not strictly true. The book explains the careful process through which the trees are farmed for their resin. Precise periodic incisions release the tree’s resinous life-blood which then crystallizes on contact with the air. The visual portraits of the extraction process are enthralling; this little-know form of agriculture looks completely at home with its centuries of tradition in the desert landscapes.

The incense’s role in religion and its popularity as a purifying agent meant that until quite recently demand and prices were high. Highet points out that Herodotus, the Greek writer, recorded that 30,000kg of the resin were burnt during the feast of Baal in Babylon.

Frankincense’s cultural impact in Oman is well described and opens up some less well-know aspects of the kingdom. It is a very interesting lens through which to view the modern country with its strong reflections of tradition and history. The story of how some Omani businessmen decided to resurrect the region’s perfume industry – essentially, the arabs were the source for modern perfumes – is interesting and throws light on Oman’s efforts to diversify away from oil.

The final part of the book examines Frankincense’s role in modern therapies and healing. An old Omani proverb says, “From my branches flows the fluid to which millions of hearts beat on hearing its name.” This cultural history of both incense and its relationship with Oman is eminently readable. The accompanying photos, many of which were taken by the author in her extensive travels in the country, are striking, evocative and beautiful.

Frankincense – Oman’s Gift to the World can be brought online at:

en