Inscribed in cuneiform tablets is a mention of the first perfumer ever recorded, a Mesopotamian woman named Tapputi, who became the stuff of legend…
“From the mouth of the muraqqītu Tappūtī-Bēlet-ekallim…,”so starts the written record of a perfume formula utilized by the very first perfumer ever recorded. What we know about Tappūtī-Bēlet-ekallim, usually shortened to Tapputi, is from a single Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet, which, stunningly, the writer conveniently dated, carved in May of 1239 BCE.
The lore of Tapputi is often swirled with a lot of added mythology, depicting her as an official chemist, or an impossibly rare Mesopotamian Independent Woman. Yet, neither has any evidence, and much to dispute either of those facts.
What is true, however, is that she was fantastically brilliant at her job, as even in clay tablets, they describe her creations as “fit for the king” – a rare feat indeed, as mostly only men were to make perfume for royalty. Additionally, it’s surprising she’s named by name and title, as other perfumery tablets exist during that time, and palace workers are rarely named by anything other than their trade and where they were from.
Perfumer was a necessary trade, and many people were captured by conquest and enslaved for it, including many of the women who were captured for their skills in any other trade, such as textile makers or cooks.
So, it’s significant a woman was not only making perfumes for royalty but that she was documented by name and title, ‘Bēlet-ekallim’ referencing the goddess Bēlet-ekalli, who is the protector of the palaces, her title translating to ‘the Assistant of the Lady of the Palaces,’ certainly a high title.
Tapputi didn’t work alone, either. It appears she was also working in tandem with someone. However, the inscribed clay tablet (called KAR 220) is damaged. All that remains of the co-perfumer’s name is ‘-ninu.’
Within the surviving writings, we see a method for creating a fragrance for a salve using techniques that herald the beginnings of steam distillation and enfleurage.
This is also interesting because across the sea, the Egyptians were also obsessed with the sacred task of perfume-making, but their techniques of distillation were more rudimentary than what Tapputi had been using.
Her iconic fragrance included calamus, both “flowers and green parts,” the aromatics of tabilu, hamimu, and iaruttu, myrrh, cypress root, myrtle, and balsam, including instructions on how to extract, filter, and clarify the materials to get the final product.
The tablet of KAR 220 is now housed at the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin, containing all we know about Tapputi, -ninu, and their contributions to the world of perfumery. And while they may not truly be the mythology that surrounds them at times, the fact that we know their names at all is remarkable.
And it would seem we deserve to, because by all recorded accounts, they were exceptionally skilled at what they did.
What fascinates you the most about Tapputi’s story — her role as the first recorded chemist, her pioneering distillation methods, or the fact that perfume-making has such ancient roots? Comment down below!