A ''jobawi'' is a type of traditional

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 winter

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

with earflaps which was worn by women and was made of

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

. Since its first appearance in the late

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 has been widely worn as a substitute for the ''

ayam Ayam may refer to: *Ayam (cap), a Korean hat * Ayam (people), Kuwaiti citizens of Persian origins. *''Ayam'', the Melayu and Malay word for chicken, used in names of dishes and chicken or food-related entities: **Ayam Brand, food company **Ayam bu ...

'' (a cap with a big

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mater ...

on the back). Although the ''jobawi'' was worn by the upper class as well as by commoners, it was mostly used by the

yangban The ''yangban'' () were part of the traditional ruling class or gentry of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The ''yangban'' were mainly composed of highly educated civil servants and military officers—landed or unlanded aristocrats ...

aristocracy of that time as a decorative

headgear Headgear, headwear, or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, de ...

when they went out. In addition, the ''jobawi'' was worn not only as formal

, but also for special occasions. Even though a wearer was not in formal attire, if she wore a ''jobawi'', the overall outfit could be considered as simple formal clothing. The ''jobawi'' does not cover the top of the head just like other unisex winter caps such as the ''ayam'', ''

nambawi A ''nambawi'' is a type of traditional Korean winter hat worn by both men and women during the Joseon period for protection against the cold. The other names for it are ''pungdengi'' and ''nani'' (literally warming ears). The ''nambawi'' is also ...

'' and the ''

pungcha A pungcha is a type of traditional Korean winter hat worn by both men and women during the Joseon period for protection against the cold. It is also called ''pungchae'' and ''jeongpungcha''. Although its shape is very similar with nambawi, the ''p ...

''. But it fully covers the forehead and the ears on the sides with round earflaps to protect against the cold. The outer surface is generally made of several varieties of silk called ''sa'' (사, ) or ''dan'' (단, ) while its inner surface is made of ''dan'', ''myeongju'' (명주, more lustrous silk), or

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

Tassel A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric and clothing decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe. History and use In the Hebrew Bible, the Lord spoke to Moses instructing him to ...

s are attached to both front and back side of the ''jobawi''; they can also be adorned with

jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a western ...

. Some ''jobawi'' were decorated with accessories made from

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of ...

agate Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in Ancie ...

or other

gem A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

s on the left and right side of the forehead as well as on the bottom part of the back side. The front and back of the ''jobawis top are loosely linked by a string which either consists of

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

beads or is made of silver strings in a floral or simple

braid A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...

. There were ''jobawi'' embroidered with

bead A bead is a small, decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes of a material such as stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood, or pearl and with a small hole for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under ...

s or adorned with ''

geumbak ''Geumbak'' is a Korean traditional craft for applying extremely thin gold leaf on hanbok The (; term used in South Korea), also called () n North Korea and China, is an umbrella term which is used to refer to traditional ethnic Korean cl ...

'' (

gold leaf Gold leaf is gold that has been hammered into thin sheets (usually around 0.1 µm thick) by goldbeating and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades. The most commonly used gold is 22-kara ...

decoration) which were usually worn by children or young females. The patterns of the ''geumbak'' were usually flowers or letters in

hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

reading ''bugwi'' (부귀, , wealth and honors), ''danam'' (다남, , many sons), ''subok'' (수복, , long life and happiness), or ''gangnyeong'' (강녕 , happiness and peace). This decoration was on the edge of the ''jobawi''. At present, baby girls wear such ''jobawi'' on the occasion of their ''

doljanchi ''Dol'' or ''doljanchi'' is a Korean tradition that celebrates the first birthday of a baby. This ceremony blesses the child with a prosperous future and has taken on great significance in Korea. The birthday babies wear a hanbok and a traditional ...

'', which celebrates their first birthday.

References

* {{Hats Korean headgear Caps

See also

References