The odour of agarwood is complex and pleasing, with few or no similar natural analogues. In the perfume state, the scent is mainly distinguished by a combination of "oriental-woody" and "very soft fruity-floral" notes. The incense smoke is also characterised by a "sweet-balsamic" note and "shades of vanilla and musk" and amber. It was described as a fragrant product as early as 1400 BCE in the
Vedas of
India. In the
Hebrew Bible, "trees of lign aloes" are mentioned in
The Book of Numbers 24:6 and a perfume compounded of aloeswood,
myrrh, and
cassia is described in Psalms 45. In the
Gospel of John,
Jesus’s body is prepared for burial by binding it in linen wrappings with seventy-five pounds of aloes and
myrrh (John 19:39).
Dioscorides in his book
De materia medica (50 to 70 CE) described several medical qualities of agarwood (Áγαλλοχου) and mentioned its use as an incense. Even though Dioscorides describes agarwood as having an astringent and bitter taste, it was used to freshen the breath when chewed or as a decoction held in the mouth. He also writes that a root extract was used to treat stomach complaints and dysentery as well as pains of the lungs and liver. As early as the third century CE in ancient Viet Nam, the Chinese
chronicle Nan zhou yi wu zhi (Strange things from the South) written by Wa Zhen of the Eastern
Wu Dynasty mentioned agarwood produced in the Rinan commandery, now Central
Vietnam, and how people collected it in the mountains. During the sixth century CE in Japan, in the recordings of the
Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) the second oldest book of classical Japanese history, mention is made of a large piece of fragrant wood identified as agarwood. The source for this piece of wood is claimed to be from
Pursat, Cambodia (based on the smell of the wood). The
famous piece of wood still remains in Japan today and is showcased less than 10 times per century at the
Nara National Museum. '', 8th century, currently held by the
Shōsōin,
Tōdai-ji,
Nara, Japan Agarwood is highly revered in Hinduism, Buddhism, and
Chinese folk religion. Starting in 1580 after
Nguyễn Hoàng took control over the central provinces of modern Vietnam, he encouraged trade with other countries, specifically China and Japan. Agarwood was exported in three varieties: Calambac (kỳ nam in Vietnamese), trầm hương (very similar but slightly harder and slightly more abundant), and agarwood proper. A pound of Calambac bought in
Hội An for 15
taels could be sold in
Nagasaki for 600 taels. The
Nguyễn Lords soon established a
Royal Monopoly over the sale of Calambac. This monopoly helped fund the Nguyễn state finances during the early years of the Nguyen rule. Accounts of international trade in agarwood date back as early as the thirteenth century, with India being one of the earliest sources of agarwood for foreign markets.
Xuanzang's travelogues and the
Harshacharita, written in seventh century AD in Northern India, mentions use of agarwood products such as 'Xasipat' (writing-material) and 'aloe-oil' in ancient
Assam (Kamarupa). The tradition of making writing materials from its bark still exists in
Assam. It is still used in traditional Chinese
herbal medicine where it goes by the name of Chén Xiāng - 沉香 - Literally meaning 'sinking fragrance'. Its earliest recorded mention is from the Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians, 名医别录, Ming Yi Bie Lu, ascribed to the author Táo Hǒng-Jǐng c.420-589. == Etymology ==