A fellow passed along some information he'd unearthed about the antimacassar. Sit back while we share some of his story.

(来源：英语e问e答 http://ask.englishcn.com)

Back in the early 1800s, a Londoner named Rowland began marketing a marvelous concoction, an unguent he claimed was based on sweet oils from Makassar, a seaport city in what is now Indonesia. An advertisement promised this macassar oil would increase growth where there has been baldness, strengthen the curl, and "eradicate all impurities of hair." (来源：EnglishCN英语博客基地)

Are you guessing Rowland was simply a snake oil salesman? Maybe; maybe not, but his macassar oil was essentially palm oil, touched with a bit of ylang-ylang oil and perhaps some fat from the seed of the kusam tree. (来源：英语资料下载 http://download.englishcn.com)

In any case, macassar oil became quite popular with men during the Victorian Age, so much so that its greasy deposits became a concern for housekeepers. But rather than stop oiling their hair (or stop fussing with their hair and then resting their hands on the arms of their upholstered chairs), the Victorians created the antimacassar. The antimacassar was a cover that protected the backs (and sides) of furniture; it was intended to keep upholstery from being stained. (来源：英语麦当劳－英语杂志 www.EnglishCN.com)

And yes, the Victorians being Victorians, some antimacassars (also called tidies) were elaborately tatted or crocheted creations.