A systematic approach to the scientific reproduction of historical smells: case study of a 20th-century perfume flask

Reproduction of smells of historical objects presents an analytical challenge due to the non-linear relationship between chemical concentration and sensory perception. This paper investigates the development of a sensomic-based pipeline for the smell reproduction of historical scents, with an early 20th-century perfume flask as the case study. The goal was to reproduce the current smell rather than the original perfume formulation, establishing a methodology transferable to other heritage objects. Our methodology couples traditional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with olfactory detection (GC-MS/O), enabling the determination of the odour-active compounds responsible for the object’s olfactory profile. By determining odour activity values (OAVs), compounds were ranked based on the sensory impact, and 13 compounds were selected as significant for the olfactory profile. Validation proceeded through chemical analysis, omission tests, and sensory assessment by a panel (n = 70) with trained and untrained panellists. Statistical analysis confirmed no significant difference between the original perfume and the reproduction.