At the end of the 18th century, an Eastern breeze swept across Europe.
The trade of spices, tea, and opium reshaped sea routes, and with it, traveled a discreet yet revolutionary flower: the Chinese rose.
In 1793during a British diplomatic mission to imperial China, a rose unknown to European gardens was brought back.
Its name: Rosa chinensis.
Delicate, ever-blooming, and lightly scented, it held a mesmerising trait: it bloomed repeatedly throughout the year..
A miracle for Western gardeners, used only to single-spring blossoms.
idden among crates of tea – and at times, opium – this rose became a symbol of a dreamed Asia: luxurious, mysterious, intoxicating. It was soon nicknamed the tea roseas its fragrance recalled dried tea leaves.
At first, Rosa chinensis remained a rare treasure, found only in noble greenhouses. But quickly, it was crossed with ancient species like gallica and damascena. From this fusion was born the modern th rose note moderne : richer, more fragrant, freer.
The rose was no longer a memory from antiquity. Thanks to the East, it became a promise of rebirth..
