Edible
Woody
Notesblack pepperblack teacadecoffeecopaiba balmfrankincenseleathermyrrhosmanthussaffronsandalwoodstyrax
Tags
#sexy
#smoky
Style
for her
for him
unisex
January 1618 A Japanese Galleon, the Pacific Ocean
Following a diplomatic mission to the West, a galleon carrying a delegation of samurai charges through dark ocean currents. Loaded with a rare and precious cargo, the ship’s hull is redolent of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic ground spices—the intoxicating spirit of a singular, extraordinary voyage of discovery.
A good perfume to visit if your are in a search for perfect true sandalwood, smoky and a touch dirty. Arquiste carefully selected the companions for its sandal in this formula: tea and osmanthus, coffee, myrrh and stryrax and others to give it a dark, sensual depth.
***
GQ US on Nanban:
"This is my signature scent. I wear it all the time. And let me tell you: I’ve never worn something that has gotten so many compliments—no sunglasses, no sneakers, no full-body rubber suit. People actually turn their heads and ask me what I'm wearing. And then they jot down the product name. Arquiste’s masterpiece introduces itself with Malabar black pepper and Persian saffron, gives way to coffee, sandalwood, myrrh, and Spanish leather, and embraces you all day with a blanket of frankincense, balsam, and cade juniper."
***
Financial Times' resident perfume writer Victoria Frolova on Nanban:
"... approach coffee notes creatively. Instead of mimicking nature, a perfumer instead might fashion a blend that hints at coffee’s pleasing bitterness and heady richness. Such is Arquiste’s Nanban (£160 for 100ml EDP). The composition uses a plush backdrop of woods to frame the smoky, spicy notes of myrrh and incense, with an accent of coffee to lend the composition a dark, delicious twist. It teases with its smoky, nutty warmth, but keeps its presence mellow behind layers of sandalwood and leather."
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a fragrance for close quarters and low light, where its smoky woods and leather can unfold without losing their detail. It suits someone who wants a composed but magnetic presence: warm, textured, and a little shadowed, like entering a room with a trace of spice and incense already on the air.
How to wear
Best worn in cool to mild weather, when its resinous woods and leather can breathe without becoming heavy. Apply lightly at first; Nanban has notable depth and projection, so a few sprays are enough to create a smoky, long-lasting aura that settles into sandalwood, incense and myrrh on skin.
Who it’s for
For lovers of smoky woods, incense, leather and spice, especially those who enjoy fragrances with historical atmosphere and a slightly dark, sensual edge. It will appeal to wearers who like their perfumes textured and composed rather than bright, transparent or minimal.
Release year
2015
The nose
Rodrigo Flores-Roux is a prolific perfumer known for polished compositions with strong texture, clarity and a confident use of woods, spices and resins. His work often balances classical structure with a modern, tactile richness, which suits Nanban’s smoky leather-and-incense architecture. For Arquiste, he helped translate Carlos Huber’s historical brief into scent: a galleon packed with spices, incense, leather and precious woods. In Nanban, his style shows in the way the composition stays legible while still feeling dense, dark and atmospheric.
Collaborators
Carlos Huber shaped the concept and historical brief, building the fragrance around a 1618 Japanese galleon voyage and the materials aboard the ship. Rodrigo Flores-Roux then developed the formula, turning that narrative into a smoky incense-and-leather composition with woods, spice and resin.
Arquiste’s story
Arquiste builds fragrances as reconstructed moments in time, using research, history and place as the starting point for scent. The house’s identity is rooted in transportive storytelling, with compositions designed to evoke specific eras, interiors and journeys rather than abstract trends.
Nanban’s concept
Nanban was inspired by January 1618, when a Japanese galleon crossed the Pacific after a diplomatic mission to the West. Arquiste imagined the ship’s dark hull and cargo of leather, spices, incense and precious woods, then translated that voyage into a scent that feels historical, tactile and slightly mysterious.
Extra info
Nanban’s name refers to the historical “Nanban” period of East-West contact in Japan, and the fragrance is built around a 1618 galleon voyage. It is one of Arquiste’s most talked-about compositions and is often noted for its unusually rich, smoky sandalwood character.
Featured in edits and sample packs
2020 Bestsellers | HimAwesome OsmanthusSandalwood SilhouettesThe Coffee Aroma in Perfumery
Notesblack pepperblack teacadecoffeecopaiba balmfrankincenseleathermyrrhosmanthussaffronsandalwoodstyrax
Tags
#sexy
#smoky
Style
for her
for him
unisex
January 1618 A Japanese Galleon, the Pacific Ocean
Following a diplomatic mission to the West, a galleon carrying a delegation of samurai charges through dark ocean currents. Loaded with a rare and precious cargo, the ship’s hull is redolent of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic ground spices—the intoxicating spirit of a singular, extraordinary voyage of discovery.
A good perfume to visit if your are in a search for perfect true sandalwood, smoky and a touch dirty. Arquiste carefully selected the companions for its sandal in this formula: tea and osmanthus, coffee, myrrh and stryrax and others to give it a dark, sensual depth.
***
GQ US on Nanban:
"This is my signature scent. I wear it all the time. And let me tell you: I’ve never worn something that has gotten so many compliments—no sunglasses, no sneakers, no full-body rubber suit. People actually turn their heads and ask me what I'm wearing. And then they jot down the product name. Arquiste’s masterpiece introduces itself with Malabar black pepper and Persian saffron, gives way to coffee, sandalwood, myrrh, and Spanish leather, and embraces you all day with a blanket of frankincense, balsam, and cade juniper."
***
Financial Times' resident perfume writer Victoria Frolova on Nanban:
"... approach coffee notes creatively. Instead of mimicking nature, a perfumer instead might fashion a blend that hints at coffee’s pleasing bitterness and heady richness. Such is Arquiste’s Nanban (£160 for 100ml EDP). The composition uses a plush backdrop of woods to frame the smoky, spicy notes of myrrh and incense, with an accent of coffee to lend the composition a dark, delicious twist. It teases with its smoky, nutty warmth, but keeps its presence mellow behind layers of sandalwood and leather."
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a fragrance for close quarters and low light, where its smoky woods and leather can unfold without losing their detail. It suits someone who wants a composed but magnetic presence: warm, textured, and a little shadowed, like entering a room with a trace of spice and incense already on the air.
How to wear
Best worn in cool to mild weather, when its resinous woods and leather can breathe without becoming heavy. Apply lightly at first; Nanban has notable depth and projection, so a few sprays are enough to create a smoky, long-lasting aura that settles into sandalwood, incense and myrrh on skin.
Who it’s for
For lovers of smoky woods, incense, leather and spice, especially those who enjoy fragrances with historical atmosphere and a slightly dark, sensual edge. It will appeal to wearers who like their perfumes textured and composed rather than bright, transparent or minimal.
Release year
2015
The nose
Rodrigo Flores-Roux is a prolific perfumer known for polished compositions with strong texture, clarity and a confident use of woods, spices and resins. His work often balances classical structure with a modern, tactile richness, which suits Nanban’s smoky leather-and-incense architecture. For Arquiste, he helped translate Carlos Huber’s historical brief into scent: a galleon packed with spices, incense, leather and precious woods. In Nanban, his style shows in the way the composition stays legible while still feeling dense, dark and atmospheric.
Collaborators
Carlos Huber shaped the concept and historical brief, building the fragrance around a 1618 Japanese galleon voyage and the materials aboard the ship. Rodrigo Flores-Roux then developed the formula, turning that narrative into a smoky incense-and-leather composition with woods, spice and resin.
Arquiste’s story
Arquiste builds fragrances as reconstructed moments in time, using research, history and place as the starting point for scent. The house’s identity is rooted in transportive storytelling, with compositions designed to evoke specific eras, interiors and journeys rather than abstract trends.
Nanban’s concept
Nanban was inspired by January 1618, when a Japanese galleon crossed the Pacific after a diplomatic mission to the West. Arquiste imagined the ship’s dark hull and cargo of leather, spices, incense and precious woods, then translated that voyage into a scent that feels historical, tactile and slightly mysterious.
Extra info
Nanban’s name refers to the historical “Nanban” period of East-West contact in Japan, and the fragrance is built around a 1618 galleon voyage. It is one of Arquiste’s most talked-about compositions and is often noted for its unusually rich, smoky sandalwood character.
Featured in edits and sample packs
2020 Bestsellers | HimAwesome OsmanthusSandalwood SilhouettesThe Coffee Aroma in Perfumery