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Hat
Unknown - Enlarge image
Hat
- Place of origin:
Korea (made)
- Date:
1880-1910 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Woven horsehair, lacquered bamboo
- Credit Line:
Given by the Friends of the V&A
- Museum number:
FE.1852:1-1993
- Gallery location:
In Storage
In Korean during the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), gentlemen appearing in public always wore appropriate headwear. A hat woven from horse hair, known as a 'kat' was the distinctive sign of a well-born man, and complemented his outfit of wide trousers, cross-fastened jacket, and long flowing cloak. Under the crown of the hat, men tied up their long hair into a knot.
The museum's hat was acquired in unusual circumstances, when a sharp-eyed member of staff spotted it, with its accompanying storage box, in a London second-hand shop.
Image in copyright
