Abano by Prince Matchabelli (1931)

Abano by Prince Matchabelli, introduced in 1931, evokes a world of ancient rituals, restorative waters, and refined leisure. The name “Abano” likely references Abano Terme, the famed thermal spa town in northern Italy known since Roman times for its healing muds and mineral-rich baths. The word itself, pronounced AH-bah-no, resonates with the languid elegance of European spa culture—a place where health, luxury, and sensual pleasure converged. There is also speculation that in southern Russian dialects, “abano” may translate simply to “bath,” reinforcing the imagery of personal purification, indulgence, and ritual.

Choosing such a name was fitting for Prince Matchabelli, a perfumer who often infused his creations with a sense of European aristocratic nostalgia. The early 1930s were marked by the lingering elegance of Art Deco design, a time of global exploration, and a fascination with exoticism despite the onset of the Great Depression. In perfumery, the prevailing trends leaned toward rich oriental blends and sophisticated chypres—perfumes that could transport the wearer to distant lands or historical eras through scent alone.

Abano offered this exact fantasy. Described as a luxurious blend of 15 exotic ingredients, it was classified as an oriental fragrance layered over a chypre base dominated by sandalwood. The result would have been deeply sensual and soothing—sandalwood contributing its creamy, slightly smoky woodiness; oakmoss grounding the blend with earthy greenness; and patchouli adding its signature dusty, dark, and faintly sweet richness. Bitter orange and aromatic herbs such as lavender would have brought a bright, bracing counterpoint—perhaps a nod to the invigorating feel of thermal springs. Soft grasses and botanical notes added freshness and structure, keeping the composition from tipping too far into heaviness.

Women in the 1930s would likely have embraced Abano for its quiet opulence and sophisticated air. In an era when perfumes were seen as personal signatures and extensions of one’s style, a fragrance like Abano—with its spa-inspired name and mysterious, balmy composition—would have appealed to those longing for escape, healing, or simply a luxurious indulgence in the midst of a changing world. While Abano aligned with contemporary trends in its oriental-chypre construction, it stood out through its concept: an olfactory homage to rest, retreat, and rebirth.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Abano by Prince Matchabelli is classified as an oriental fragrance for women with a sandalwood rich chypre base. A blend of oakmoss, bitter orange, patchouli, lavender, herbs & grasses.

• Top notes: aldehyde C-11, aldehyde C-12 MNA, Paraguayan bitter orange, Tunisian petitgrain sur fleurs, green note accord, Persian galbanum, French tarragon carnation 
• Middle notes:  Spanish cistus labdanum absolute, Roman chamomile, North African orange blossom absolute, Hungarian clary sage, Omani frankincense, Alpine lavender, Provencal honey
• Base notes: French hay absolute, Abyssinian civet tincture Indian costus root, Malaysian patchouli, Tibetan musk, Mysore sandalwood, Atlas cedar, Tyrolean oakmoss, ambergris, East Indian vetiver, Bourbon vetiver absolute, South American tolu balsam, Siam benzoin, Levantine styrax

Vogue, 1936:

"Prince Matchabelli's Abano. Its warm atmosphere is like the light and shadow of a pine forest."

Scent Profile:

Abano by Prince Matchabelli opens like the first inhale of a misty, herbal spa—its crisp top notes shimmering with radiant energy. You’ll sense aldehyde C‑11 and C‑12 MNA immediately, their crystalline, metallic brightness suggesting clean, cool mountain air. These synthetics are key to early 1930s perfumery, injecting a fresh, modern clarity that accentuates the natural ingredients. Underneath this brilliance, Paraguayan bitter orange brings ripe citrus warmth—not sour, but soft and full-bodied. It melds seamlessly with Tunisian petitgrain sur fleurs, a floral-tinted leaf and twig distillate of bitter orange, which adds a delicate, green-white bloom. The green note accord—a compositional blend evoking crushed grass and leaves—tethers the scent to earth and pine, heightened by Persian galbanum, whose resinous bitterness evokes forest undergrowth. A whisper of French tarragon and delicate carnation lifts the citrus-green chorus, opening like a sunlit herb garden.

As the heart unfolds, it deepens with warm, resinous tones and a sense of ritual. Spanish cistus (labdanum absolute) introduces a deep, slightly ambery leatheriness that supports Omani frankincense, whose incense-like resins give a slow, sacred calm. Roman chamomile brings a soft green apple sweetness, smoothing the blend like healing balm, while Hungarian clary sage and Alpine lavender infuse herbal clarity—earthy, aromatic, calming. Around them blooms North African orange blossom absolute, creamy and dewy, offering a narcotic counterpoint, while Provencal honey weaves golden sweetness, rich yet never saccharine. Together, these notes create a spa-like sanctuary: warming, homely, and quietly luxurious.

In the base, French hay absolute introduces warm, sun-baked fields—an olfactory nod to dried grasses and golden late afternoons. Abyssinian civet tincture brings a velvety, faintly animalic caress, while Indian costus root adds leather-wrapped spice, lending complex depth. Rich woods enrich the heart with Malaysian patchouli, earthy and damp; Mysore sandalwood, milky and sensuous; Atlas cedar, resinous and subtly smoky; and the dual roots of East Indian vetiver and creamier Bourbon vetiver absolute, both grounding and subtly biting. Tyrolean oakmoss lends clean, forest-floor depth, woven through the base like moss on shaded wood. These botanicals intertwine with biblical resins—South American tolu balsam, Siam benzoin, and Levantine styrax—each carrying warm, balsamic sweetness that drifts into the skin like a sable velvet wrap. Finally, ambergris warms the entire blend with salt-toned musk, patchouli glow, and marine mystery.

What remains is a sandalwood-rich chypre that feels both restorative and sensuous—at once spa-like solace and exotic allure. Abano is a multi-layered experience: first the fresh sparkle of morning air, then the restorative herbarium of its heart, and finally the deeply sensual, balsamic warmth of its base. Each ingredient speaks to a different facet of the aromatic story, yet the whole is seamless—a luxurious escape, bottled.

Product Line:

The Abano fragrance by Prince Matchabelli extended far beyond a single perfume; it was introduced as a comprehensive product line designed to envelop the wearer in its exotic, sandalwood-rich oriental aura from head to toe. The collection included the Parfum, the most concentrated and long-lasting form of the fragrance, perfect for those seeking a rich and enduring scent experience.

Stage, 1938:

"Prince Matchabelli's Abano, which, thank goodness, has finally come out in a perfume, in the famous crown bottle ($1.25 to $35)"

Complementing the parfum was the Shaker Talc and Dusting Powder, both finely milled powders infused with the signature Abano fragrance. These powders offered a delicate, velvety touch to the skin, ideal for adding a subtle scent while providing a soft matte finish, often used after bathing or throughout the day for a refreshing lift.

The Body Spray Powder provided a lighter, more ephemeral application, perfect for a quick mist of scent with the added benefit of a gentle powdery feel. This product was designed for ease of use, allowing women to refresh their fragrance on the go without the heaviness of parfum or powder.

For a more indulgent bathing ritual, the line included Bubbling Bath Salts and Bath Oil, both crafted to infuse bathwater with the luxurious essence of Abano. The bubbling salts created a fragrant, effervescent soak, while the bath oil offered a nourishing, silky texture that left skin soft and delicately perfumed.

The New Yorker, 1952;

"A bath so soothing, it relaxes tired nerves ... so refreshing, it stirs your senses. Makes you look and feel years, years younger! Abano Bath Oil. ..$1.25 to $12.00. So exotic . . . it's almost sinful!"

Holiday, 1960:

"It's Prince Matchabelli's Abano, the perfumed bath oil that can do what the Ancients knew fragrance could do— soothe the psyche. Every drop of Abano is a blend of 15 exotic scents ... all carefully blended."

Industrial Design, Volume 9, 1962:

"Prince Matchabelli Abano bath oil package depicts seahorse amidst colored mosaics, creating an exotic effect."

Vogue, 1966:

"drift in serenity... in an Abano bath Abandon your cares to Abano. Abano Bath Oil smooths your body... its fragrance soothes your soul. Drift n Abano — slowly breathe in Abano's exotic fragrance — and feel trouble-making tensions glide away. You emerge, renewed for living, wrapped in a silken robe of lasting fragrance. Abano Bath Oil 1.50 to 16.50. And Abano's new convenient capsules."

Soap, Cosmetics, Chemical Specialties, 1969:

"This plastic apothecary jar, made by Lermer Packaging division of Loral Corp., Scars- dale, N.Y., is new container for "Abano" bath oil capsules from Prince Matchabelli division of Chesebrough-Pond's Inc., New York."

Congressional Record, 1971:

"Abano bath oil, by Chesebrough Ponds (Matchabelli Division)—contains essential oils, volatile terpenes, aromatics, esters, citrus oils, perfume oils. The doctors say that it's interesting to note "what's not in there," so a patient who is sensitive to particular ingredients can..."

Vogue, 1971:

"..and better still when shared with an old friend— Prince Matchabelli's Abano Bath Oil, an out-of-this-world scent that's been getting in hot water since the '30's. Now a whole new generation of water babies are onto its rich, exotic fragrance.."

The Cologne presented a lighter concentration than parfum but maintained the signature notes of Abano, ideal for everyday wear or for those who preferred a subtler presence of scent. Additionally, the line featured a traditional Soap, which allowed users to cleanse with the delicate aroma of Abano, extending the fragrance experience even to their daily hygiene routine.

Unique among the offerings was the Tanabano Sun Oil, a sun care product infused with the fragrance. This oil was designed to nourish and lightly scent the skin during sun exposure, combining skincare benefits with the exotic allure of Abano’s complex composition.

Drug and Cosmetic Industry, Volume 33, 1933:

"Tanabano" is the latest creation of Prince Matchabelli. It is a sun oil scented with the "Abano" odeur. The package is a blue flask-shaped bottle with a yellow label, symbolizing the sun and sea, with tin cap.

In 1954, Prince Matchabelli expanded the collection further by launching the Abano After Bath Cologne, a refreshing post-bath spray designed to soothe the skin while enveloping the wearer in the perfume’s warm and spicy oriental notes. This addition underscored the brand’s commitment to a full-bodied sensory experience, allowing users to carry the essence of Abano throughout their daily rituals.

Together, these varied products created a luxurious, multi-sensory line that allowed women to experience Abano’s rich oriental bouquet in numerous ways—whether through concentrated perfume, powders, bathing products, or skincare—making it a versatile and cherished fragrance collection of its time.

 

Fate of the Fragrance:

The exact date when Abano by Prince Matchabelli was discontinued remains unknown, leaving some mystery around the end of its production. Despite this, records show that the fragrance and its associated products were still available on the market as late as 1977. This extended presence speaks to Abano’s enduring appeal and the lasting impression it made on fragrance enthusiasts. Its complex oriental composition and versatile product range allowed it to remain relevant for decades, continuing to captivate women who appreciated its rich, sandalwood-based chypre character well beyond its original launch in the early 1930s.

"abano" is a Georgian word for baths. It is a Georgian word and not South Russian. Capital of Georgia Tbilisi has a whole area with various ancient Turkish bath houses. They are really old and famous in that part of the world. https://georgiaphiles.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/taking-the-waters-the-sulfur-baths-of-tbilisi/