CLEOPATRA'S BOUDOIR

In this guide I will introduce you to the world of the vintage perfumes by Ahmed Soliman & the Shimy Brothers Perfume Companies of Egypt.

These two competitors catered to the higher end of the tourist trade. Both Ahmed Soliman & the Shimy Brothers perfumes are very rare finds today, and command very high prices when offered at auction. From the pictures below, you can see the various types of perfume bottles that can be found.

Ahmed Soliman

Ahmed Soliman El Mowardi (1906-1956) had a perfumery located at the Khan-Khalili Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt during the first half of the 20th century. Ahmed Soliman marketed himself as "Cairo's Perfume King". Though established in 1838, the 1920s were the height of his perfumes popularity. Ahmed Soliman's shop, the Palace of Perfumes also carried other items such as incense, kohl, ambar cigarettes, ambar paste and ambar gum.

Still today, nobody in Cairo has been able to surpass the quality of the perfumes that Ahmed sold in the store of the bazaar Khan the Khalili. There were imitators of Ahmed Soliman who tried to cash in on using the name Soliman for their own perfumes. Ahmed was fed up with this and a vintage advertisement states that:

 "Do not be misled! Remember two words--Ahmed Soliman. Owing to the great number of designing merchants who vainly try to imitate my wares-an impossibility owing to their excellence- and furthermore use a name similar to mine in order to decieve,I have registered in the Courts of Law to obviate such deception entirely. I therefore advise my clients to take great care thatmy FULL NAME is printed on each article that comes out of my store."

"The Flower, Spice, Fresh Fruit & Blended Perfumes, in their suggestive loveliness are incomparable and are acknowledged to be the best obtainable."

The perfumes were compounded in Egypt, but the bottles were imported from Czechoslovakia. Most of the bottles are decorated with rich gilding and vibrant enamels of Egyptian gods & goddesses, or stylized Egyptian motifs. Some stoppers have faceted glass jewels. As you can see below, a rare silver overlay bottle is pictured. The bottles would be housed in elegant leather covered and silk lined presentation cases or simple Bakelite or wooden cases.

Single Flower Perfumes from Ahmed Soliman:

• Lotus Flower 
• Attar of Roses
• Jasmine
• Violet
• Double Jasmine
• Heliotrope
• Verbena
• Gardenia
• Lotus
• Morning Glory
• Orange Blossom
• Black Narcissus
• Narcissus
• Banana
• Bittersweet
• Fotna (Mimosa)
• Lilac
• Golden Wattle
• Lily of the Valley
• Carnation

Perfume Blends from Ahmed Soliman:

• Tutankhamon Pharaoh Scent
• Secret of the Desert
• Harem Perfume
• Shem El-Nessim
• Queen of Egypt
• Fragrant Flowers
• Nefertiti
• Kino
• Heliotropium
• Fotna
• Ramses IV
• Le Caire
• The Flower of the Sahara
• Queen Hatasu
• Arabian Night
• Christmas Scent
• Scent of Araby
• Omar Khayyam
• Bitter Sweet
• Morning Glory
• Ahmed Soliman

Spice Scents from Ahmed Soliman:

• Sandal Wood
• Antique Ambar
• Royal Ambar
• Amber Kashmir
• Musk
• Ambar
• Amber
• Frankincense

"Incense prepared by Ahmed Soliman is a most wonderful agent for creating that real, fascinating Eastern atmosphere. Inferior incense should be avoided."

• Incense of Araby
• Sandlewood
• Ambar
• Mecca
• Rose Jasmine

"Kohl has been used by harem ladies since time immemorial to beautify the eyes, is also found in its purest form at the Palace" 

• Cleopatra
• Fascination
• Hareem
• Blue
• Black

"Ambar gum restores a lustre to the skin and imparts a delicate perfume to the body. Only Ahmed Soliman has it in his Palace of Perfumes."

"Ambar Paste:" the elixir of youth is perhaps the most Oriental of all my preparations. The effect is enchanting, seductive and the taste is delicious.Although delightful for all ages owing to its curious and pleasant flavor, and its healthy blood-warming properties-the Genuine Ambar Paste is a veritable Open Sesame to elderly people who would, for a time, re-enter the portals of the realm of youth"

The Shimy Brothers

The Shimy Brothers Perfumery of Cairo also produced fine perfumes in exquisite flacons during the same time period. These bottles are nearly indistinguishable from Ahmed Soliman's unless your pieces are marked. Shimy Brothers sometimes had the words "The Artistic Perfumers" either on the bottles or on the presentation boxes.

Like the ones for Soliman, these bottles were of high quality Czechoslovakian crystal and came in various glass colors and were decorated with hand enameled scenes and figures. The bottles were topped off with gilded brass filigree caps which had faceted glass jewels. Sometimes you will find the vials marked on the sides or base made in Czechoslovakia or Czechoslovakia will be on a little plaque on the cap.