Tonkin musk is powerfully sensual, dousing accords in an animalic warmth that deepens and emboldens. It's a prized fixative, blending and melding notes with ease to create intoxicatingly smooth accords that are subtly reminiscent of animal feces.
Tonkin musk derives from the musk deer—a wild fawn which has a “musk pouch” located between its navel and penis that develops once it reaches sexual maturity. This pouch weighs between 20 and 30 grams, and contains about 10 to 20 grams of a substance called “seed musk.” This brownish, pungently odorous substance is rather grainy in texture and is primarily used by the musk deer to mark his territory and attract females through the substance’s natural pheromones. To extract this highly alluring scent, the pouch is macerated for several weeks in alcohol. Dampened by the scent and naturally colored, the alcohol is collected to produce a musk tincture.
While musk is typically replaced with synthetic alternatives today, natural Tonkin musk was a popular material throughout the 1900s. It was a particularly lucrative sport for hunters, giving little incentive to quit the rather controversial practice. Despite the many measures in place today, there are still some known instances of poaching.
Serge Lutens
Shakira
