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Occasionally, a historical curiosity presents itself with such oddly perfect specificity that it feels almost designed for modern contemplation.
The late Middle Ages and early modern period were the perfect breeding grounds for such a phenomenon. In 16th- and 17th-century Europe, glass—a relatively novel material—emerged not merely as a new material, but as a revelation: transparent, reflective, and possessed of seemingly alchemical properties. The presence of glass amongst nobility led to the development of what scholars have aptly dubbed “glass delusion.”
One of the more notable cases involved Princess Alexandra Amalie of Bavaria, who, according to her own account, had come to believe that she had swallowed a full-sized glass piano during her youth. One wrong move and she was sure to shatter into tiny shards, never to be put back together again.
Glass delusion appeared with enough frequency to enter the medical literature of the time. King Charles VI of France is perhaps the most famously afflicted; he donned custom garb reinforced with iron rods and remained largely motionless, refusing close contact lest he splinter. He even wrapped himself in blankets to protect his buttocks from breaking. It seems the metaphor extended quite literally to the seat of power.
While glass delusion may sound humorous to the modern reader, it reflects a significant subconscious shift amongst royalty and the upper class. Glass, as both a literal substance and a cultural symbol, embodied concerns around transparency, vulnerability, and the dangers of constant scrutiny. Those affected expressed feelings of frailty and even a desire to be left alone—while their socioeconomic positions afforded them lives of luxury and status, it came at the expense of extreme visibility. How valuable is the pursuit of power when that power is so easily fractured?
At Serviette, we often find ourselves returning to questions like these: How does culture shape our understanding of value, taste, and exposure? Can luxury, once decoded, still hold meaning? Serviette aims to create fragrances that find value in intentionality, storytelling, and the pursuit of knowledge.