antimacassar

Antimacassar on a rail carriage seat

An antimacassar is a small cloth placed over the backs or arms of chairs, or the head or cushions of a sofa, to prevent soiling of the permanent fabric.

The name is attributable to macassar oil, an unguent for the hair commonly used in the early 19^th century — the poet Byron called it, "thine incomparable oil, Macassar."

The fashion for oiled hair became so widespread in the Victorian and the Edwardian period that housewives began to cover the arms and backs of their chairs with washable cloths to preserve the fabric coverings from being soiled. Around 1850, these started to be known as antimacassars. They were also installed in theatres, from 1865.

They came to have elaborate patterns, often in matching sets for the various items of parlor furniture; they were either made at home using a variety of techniques such as crochet or tatting, or purchased. The original antimacassar was usually made of stiff white crochet-work, but in the third quarter of the 19^th century it became simpler and softer, usually with a simple pattern in wool or silk. Annie Chapman, the second canonical victim of Jack the Ripper, was said to have made antimacassars for a living shortly before she was murdered.

By the beginning of the 20^th century, antimacassars had become so associated in peoples’ minds with the Victorian period that the word briefly became a figurative term for it. (See also, Doily).

Antimacassars are also used on the seat headrests of commercial passenger transport vehicles, such as trains, buses and especially aircraft to extend the life of fabrics.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.