Antimacassar

[Sarah]

A cover for the back or arms of a chair or sofa, etc., toprevent them from being soiled by macassar or other oil from thehair.

[Sarah]

An antimacassar is a small cloth placed over the backs or arms of chairs, or sofas. Historically, the Edwardian male penchant for oiling one's coiffure continued into Victorian times; necessitating the invention of washable decorative fabric blotters. They are still used in luxury rail lines and immaculate Japanese taxis.

The name is derived from the Indian unguent for the hair commonly used in the early 19th century, macassar oil— the poet Byron called it, thine

[Sarah]

doily, especially as used to prevent men's brilliantine (macassar) from staining upholstered furniture