I recently received, from one of my favorite people, a lovely gift of papier d’arménie from France. Papier d’arménie and its Italian counterpart, carta d’armenia, are strips of paper coated with dried sap from styrax trees and when burned are used to freshen indoor air. In use since the 19th century, there is for me something so mystical about these papers. My box of carta d’armenia from Santa Maria Novella also came from a dear friend. I love the packaging so much that it has actually been sitting in my desk drawer for some fifteen years, inspiring me each time I open it.