POMANDER BALLS

I have oft seen pomander balls like the ones above sold at gift and novelty shops.  I have also seen car owners hang them from their car mirrors as decoration.  In the west pomander balls are used to accent wedding flowers and wedding decor. These hanging decorations can be used to line a wedding aisle, decorate an outdoor wedding arch, or be used as an alternative to flower girl baskets.
If I am not mistaken the pomander is of French origin.  Its French name is pomme d'ambre meaning apple of amber.  In olden times a pomander was a ball made of perfumes, such as musk or civet. At that time a pomander was worn or carried in a vase, also known by the same name, as a protection against infection in times of pestilence or merely as a useful article to modify bad smells.  They are also known as "kissing balls".
Nowadays, these pomanders are quite common decorative accessories for weddings in Malaysia as well.

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The pomander balls above are made from silk flowers and are now quite popular decorative items for Malaysian weddings, especially Malay ones.  

In western countries, fresh flowers are usually used to make the pomander balls. The pictures below that were taken from pinterest.com  show how these fresh flower balls are used for weddings.