One animal’s droppings are another man’s treasure
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The pomander’s Latin name, Pomum Ambrae, indicates that the original and most widely used substance in the pomander was ambergris.
Originally from the Roman goddess of fruit trees, the pomander mirrored the shape of an apple. The pomander stood for both the firm mass and the ointment-like preparation within the artifact. In earlier centuries, the value lay more in the contents as opposed to the structure that held them.
Ambergris is a growth that appears in the digestive tract of the sperm whale as the result of the indigestibility of some of its fish. The mass is expelled from the whale, through excretion or after death, washing up onto the shores.
The rancid material is refined through natural phenomena including exposure to sand, air, and salt, and develops a more fragrant, earthy scent, similar to many other animal-derived elements such as musk, a product found in a deer’s system. The mass also becomes lighter in color as it is refined, hence the name ‘gris’ or gray.
In Early Modern Europe, the provenance of ambergris was an enigma. As a result, ambergris was shrouded in mystery and exoticism, becoming immensely popular amongst different population groups. Many speculations arose as a way of attributing an origin story to this precious material. In Ambræ historiam, a 1666 scientific volume by Wittenberg scientist Justus Fidus Klobius, eighteen hypotheses on ambergris’ origins with their respective illustrations were enumerated. Klobius' mostly pushed the idea that ambergris was the fecal matter of East Indian birds, the aschibobuch in Malagasy, whose frugivore diet contributed to the perfume-like odor.
This quest for answers did not appear in Europe until the seventeenth century. In fact, the search for answers stemmed from a long line of inquiry in the Arab world. Eleventh century physicians initiated this thirst for knowledge. The famous Persian physician Avicenna (980-1037) thought the matter came from a fountain within the sea, while others thought it was from foam created by the movement of the ocean. There was also the belief it was a type of fungus generated by the sea and cast onto shores due to strong currents.
Ambergris and its wide-ranging uses throughout cultures and countries made exchange possible for material goods, but also medicinal and spiritual purposes. For example, ambergris was used by the Indian noble class and kings as an aphrodisiac and was added to food. This worldly fascination extended from northern European and near-eastern populations to those in China. Chao Ju-kua, the Chinese inspector of foreign trade in Fukien (1178), likened whales to dragons and ambergris to their spittle which “floats on the water, collects, and turns hard, and the fishermen gather it as a most valuable substance.”
Ambergris’ inherent mobility during its refinement process but also through trade, placed it at the forefront of early modern culture as it moved through categories, becoming a prized collection item, a foodstuff, as well as a spiritual and healing element. Ambergris surrounds many sixteenth century discussions, transcending borders and time. As international travel and geographical ‘discoveries’ increased during this era alongside an increase in information and accounts, there was a real difficulty to pinpoint a clear provenance, given that classical authors within the field of humanities had not addressed the subject.