Gat (clothing)
Encyclopedia
A gat is a type of Korea
n traditional hat
worn by men along with hanbok
(Korean traditional clothing) during the Joseon Dynasty
. It is made from horsehair
, with a bamboo
frame, and is partly transparent in black color.
Most gat are cylindrical in shape, with a wide brim
, on a bamboo frame. Only married and middle class men during the late 19th century could wear gat, which represented their social status and protected their topknots (which were called sangtu, 상투).
Under the Joseon Dynasty
, black gat (heungnip, 黑笠, 흑립) were restricted to men who had passed the gwageo
examination. Commoners wore a variant called paeraengi (패랭이) which was woven from split bamboo.
Artisans who make gat are called gasiljang (갓일장) in Korean.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n traditional hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
worn by men along with hanbok
Hanbok
Hanbok or Chosŏn-ot is the traditional Korean dress. It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means "Korean clothing", hanbok today often refers specifically to hanbok of Joseon Dynasty and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear...
(Korean traditional clothing) during the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. It is made from horsehair
Horsehair
Horsehair is the long, coarse 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 wallcovering material formerly used in the construction...
, with a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
frame, and is partly transparent in black color.
Most gat are cylindrical in shape, with a wide brim
Brim
Brim refers to an edge or border*Brim *Brim , a defunct brand of decaffeinated coffee*Brim, Victoria is a town in Australia*Undercurrent, an award-winning 2010 Icelandic film...
, on a bamboo frame. Only married and middle class men during the late 19th century could wear gat, which represented their social status and protected their topknots (which were called sangtu, 상투).
Under the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, black gat (heungnip, 黑笠, 흑립) were restricted to men who had passed the gwageo
Gwageo
The gwageo were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' knowledge of the Chinese classics, and sometimes also of technical subjects...
examination. Commoners wore a variant called paeraengi (패랭이) which was woven from split bamboo.
Artisans who make gat are called gasiljang (갓일장) in Korean.