Macassar oil was an unguent for the hair commonly used by men in the early 19th century. The poet Byron called it "thine incomparable oil, Macassar".[2] 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.