In celebration of The Met’s exhibition, Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room, we invite you to transcend time with a glimpse into Seneca Village. Seneca Village was a vibrant community founded by free black tenants that flourished from the 1820’s to the 1850’s until the City of New York seized the land to construct Central Park. We bring it to life through our SENECA candle.

Fueled by the African belief that the past, present and future are interconnected, the exhibition reimagines Seneca Village in the immersive form of a 19th century domestic interior through sound, storytelling, and a myriad of objects from The Met’s collection.

Inspired by this multi-sensory experience, the SENECA candle transports you to a fragrant, bustling kitchen with top notes of spiced black tea. Through an open window, breezes carry in an aromatic accord of wild thyme and crisp cedarleaf, which can still be deeply inhaled walking through Central Park today. Incense, cade and red clove create a warm aura at the heart, leading beautifully to the resinous, woody freshness of birch and vetiver. Modern, powdery concrete provides the perfect smooth finish, representing the present with an eye on the future, as we observe the exhibition in the continuing cycle of life.