The drowned monk’s body is bloated, its fat turned to soap in his watery grave. His crime was revealing the apothecary secrets of his order, in a scroll inscribed with the antidotes to poisonings.
This is privileged information that keeps the power with the friary, and he betrayed his vows.
Farmakon is the smell of his sad story: the odor of parchment, ink — and the wax from the flesh of a drowned man.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a scent for close quarters and low light, where its smoky leather and inked herbs can read as deliberate rather than loud. It suits a wearer who wants an austere, cerebral presence that feels more like a private ritual than a public statement.
How to wear
Best in cool weather, where the resinous smoke and leather can unfold without becoming harsh. Apply sparingly, as an extrait with strong character and likely dense diffusion; one or two sprays are enough to let the ink, rosemary and smoky base linger on skin and in fabric.
Who it’s for
For those drawn to dark, unconventional perfumes with leathery, smoky and aromatic facets. It will appeal to wearers who like narrative compositions, bitter herbs, resin depth and a tactile, almost medieval atmosphere.
Maqueda’s story
Maqueda is an independent Italian house devoted to olfactory experimentation and esoteric ideas, working far from conventional perfume codes. Its compositions lean narrative and atmospheric, treating scent as a medium for memory, place and transformation.
Farmakon’s concept
Farmakon is built around a grim medieval image: a drowned monk whose punishment follows the betrayal of his order’s apothecary secrets. The fragrance translates that story into the smell of parchment, ink and waxy flesh, with a name that echoes the ancient idea of pharmakon as both remedy and poison.
Extra info
Farmakon is listed as a limited Maqueda fragrance and appears to have been discontinued. Its name points to the ancient pharmakon idea, where medicine and poison overlap, which fits the perfume’s ominous story and material imagery.
The drowned monk’s body is bloated, its fat turned to soap in his watery grave. His crime was revealing the apothecary secrets of his order, in a scroll inscribed with the antidotes to poisonings.
This is privileged information that keeps the power with the friary, and he betrayed his vows.
Farmakon is the smell of his sad story: the odor of parchment, ink — and the wax from the flesh of a drowned man.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a scent for close quarters and low light, where its smoky leather and inked herbs can read as deliberate rather than loud. It suits a wearer who wants an austere, cerebral presence that feels more like a private ritual than a public statement.
How to wear
Best in cool weather, where the resinous smoke and leather can unfold without becoming harsh. Apply sparingly, as an extrait with strong character and likely dense diffusion; one or two sprays are enough to let the ink, rosemary and smoky base linger on skin and in fabric.
Who it’s for
For those drawn to dark, unconventional perfumes with leathery, smoky and aromatic facets. It will appeal to wearers who like narrative compositions, bitter herbs, resin depth and a tactile, almost medieval atmosphere.
Maqueda’s story
Maqueda is an independent Italian house devoted to olfactory experimentation and esoteric ideas, working far from conventional perfume codes. Its compositions lean narrative and atmospheric, treating scent as a medium for memory, place and transformation.
Farmakon’s concept
Farmakon is built around a grim medieval image: a drowned monk whose punishment follows the betrayal of his order’s apothecary secrets. The fragrance translates that story into the smell of parchment, ink and waxy flesh, with a name that echoes the ancient idea of pharmakon as both remedy and poison.
Extra info
Farmakon is listed as a limited Maqueda fragrance and appears to have been discontinued. Its name points to the ancient pharmakon idea, where medicine and poison overlap, which fits the perfume’s ominous story and material imagery.