Neandertal, the artistic perfume brand by Kentaro Yamada, is a way to explore the analogies between the lingering echoes of anthropological research and olfactory resonance. The results are contemporary, highly original, and experimental fragrance structures, free from conventional and traditional perfumery standards. Yamada is no stranger to Neanderthals – whose name the brand echoes – who lived in Europe for ten times longer than us before mysteriously disappearing from the earth around thirty thousand years ago. Neanderthals’ stone tool-making techniques are an artistry that was passed down for generations – one that Yamada has been drawn to since the early years of his art practice, at the roots of his artistic perfume brand Neandertal, through a lens that marries modern aesthetics with ancient practices. This innovative endeavour not only reimagines the art of fragrance but also highlights the significance of flint tools for human beings, creating a sensory experience that is as much about anthropological studies as it is about scent-wearing in contemporary life.

Central to Yamada’s exploration is the use of flint tools, which were essential to Neanderthal survival. These tools were not only practical but also symbolic of their ability to manipulate their environment. Flint knapping – the process of shaping flint into sharp tools – required skill and creativity, qualities that Yamada embodies in his design philosophy. Their bottle shapes are modelled after handaxes knapped from flint in England. “Humanity has evolved with these tools for over a million years, and I believe this is why they feel so ‘right’ in our hands,” says the artist, addressing the ergonomics and functionality of the always meticulously crafted bottles of his perfumes. Beyond functionality, the aesthetic appeal of the bottle plays a crucial role in its desirability. Yamada’s flint-inspired designs are visually striking, with a raw, elemental beauty that draws the eye. The combination of organic shapes, textured surfaces, and earthy colours creates a harmonious design that resonates with the natural world. This aesthetic not only elevates the perfume but also nurtures subjective responses to what beauty is.

Fascinated by primordial creative outputs, Yamada’s interest is rooted in subject matter that enables us to think beyond our everyday sphere and reflect on human existence from an alternative perspective facilitated by art. He first released a very small edition of this conceptual fragrance at Ace Hotel during Frieze Art Week in 2017, and it started from there. The scent is the only sensation that travels such a direct path to the emotional memory centres of the brain to stimulate feelings through contrasts of concepts and olfactory stimuli. Smell activates memory, unlocking bridges through time and space.

Just as Neanderthals meticulously crafted their tools for specific purposes, Yamada approaches perfumery with the same level of care and intention. Each scent he creates is a reflection of the natural world, utilising ingredients that would have been available to Neanderthals, such as resins, herbs, and flowers. The result is a collection of fragrances that evoke the primal essence of the earth, inviting wearers to connect with a time long past while present in a highly tech-informed society.

The overarching friction stemming from Neandertal perfumes lies in the counterpoint between humans and the technology given by the juxtaposition of synthetic and organic scents, as well as the high technological skills invested in modelling flint-like bottles. These highlight the fundamental differences in approach, intention, and experience between the instinctual practices of early humans and the often mechanised processes of today. Fresh, green, and floral olfactory notes blend with innovative aromas, resinous distillates, and mineral, earthy, or animalic compounds, such as the natural smell of leather. The blending of ingredients that also existed at the time of Neanderthals, along with more contemporary ones, rekindles a visceral olfactory memory that has its roots – our roots – in Prehistory.