A ''gat'' ( ) is a

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n traditional

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

worn by men along with ''

hanbok The (; term used in South Korean standard language, South Korea), also called () n North Korean standard language, North Korea and China, is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term which is used to refer to traditional ethnic Koreans, Korean ...

'' (Korean traditional clothing) during the

Joseon period Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

. It is made from

horsehair Horsehair is the long hair growing on the manes and tails of horses. It is used for various purposes, including upholstery, brushes, the bows of musical instruments, a hard-wearing fabric called haircloth, and for horsehair plaster, a wallc ...

with a

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

frame and is partly transparent. Most ''gat'' are cylindrical in shape with a wide brim on a bamboo frame. Before the late 19th century, only noble class men could wear ''gat'', which represented their social status and protected their topknots (). Artisans who make ''gat'' are called ''ganniljang'' (), from ''gannil'' (, a compound of two words ''gat'' and ''il'' (work); "''gat'' making") + ''jang'' ( "artisan, craftsperson, master of a craft"). As ''gannil'' requires artisanship throughout a complex series of techniques involving an array of materials, it has been designated as Intangible Cultural Property No. 4 on December 24, 1964.

History

The origins of ''gat'' date back to ancient times. Usually, the following hats are considered to be the first specimens of what is known as gat today: the so-called ''iphyeong baekhwa pimo'' () from ''Geumnyeongchong'' (), an ancient

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

tomb located in

Gyeongju Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, ...

, and the pan-shaped gat which is distinct from ordinary hats in pattern and shape and is depicted on the murals of the ''Gamsinchong''(), an ancient

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

tomb. Even in the modern era, the hat was worn commonly by elders and rural peoples until the late 20th century. Koreans oldest pic group

Colors and types

Colors and types of ''gat'' were differentiated by circumstances and/or social status. During the

, black ''gat'' () were restricted to men who had passed the ''

gwageo The ''gwageo'' or ''kwago'' were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' ability of writing composition and knowledge of the Chinese cla ...

'', or civil service examinations. In narrow definition, the term ''gat'' refers to the ''heungnip''. Black gat2

A white ''gat'' () was worn during times of national mourning. It is crafted in the same manner as a black ''gat'' but from ''

sambe Sambe ( ko, 삼베), or hemp fiber, is a traditional fiber for Korean clothing. The knowledge of weaving sambe skillfully is being lost, has been deemed a national treasure, and specific individuals with the ability were designated intangible cu ...

'' (hemp), consistent with traditional Korean hempen mourning garb. White gat

A red ''gat'' () was worn by military officers of

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

. Its color comes from red

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...

. Commoners wore a variant called ''paeraengi'' () which was woven from split bamboo. Paeraengyi (bottom view)

Korea-History-Goban Game in Seoul Korea 1904 (LOC).jpg A Korean man in a traditional robe and boots, wearing a horse hair and bamboo hat (5953657611).jpg Koreans oldest pic 3.jpg Koreans oldest pic group.jpg Азия (Крубер, Григорьев, Барков, Чефранов, 1900) page57.jpg Korea Hanbok Fashion Show 26 (8422277859).jpg 2021 (홍천기) Lovers Of The Red Sky (공명) Gong Myun (2).jpg 2021 (홍천기) Lovers Of The Red Sky (안효섭) Ahn Hyo-seop (3).jpg Korea China Japan Arts Concert 08.jpg Korea Chuseok 46logo (8046067193).jpg Korea Chuseok 47logo (8046073224).jpg

Presence in cultural industry

In the South Korean TV series ''Kingdom'' from 2019, ''gat'' is worn by the actors to represent each character's social class.

Notes

External links

''Gat, Traditional Headgear in Korea'' by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage

"Master Artisan of Horsehair Hat Making"

"Gat, Encyclopeida of Korean Culture"
{{Hats Hats Korean headgear

History

Colors and types

Presence in cultural industry

See also

Notes

External links