Gat
Hat
1880-1910 (made)
1880-1910 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), gentlemen appearing in public always wore appropriate headwear. A hat made of woven horsehair, known as a 'gat/kat' (갓), was the distinctive sign of a well-born man, and complemented his outfit of wide trousers, cross-fastened jacket, and long flowing cloak. Its horsehair crown and the brim, made of bamboo strands, are joined together then lacquered. The height of the crown and the diameter of the brim have changed with time, and the gat’s size became smaller after the decree of 1895 prohibiting hair topknots.
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.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Gat (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Woven horsehair, lacquered bamboo |
| Brief description | Man's hat, woven horsehair, coated with lacquer |
| Physical description | This black hat (gat) is woven out of horsehair in a fine open mesh. The brim and crown rims are edged with lacquer. Two ties of black silk gauze are attached to the crown by short pieces of white string. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by the Friends of the V&A |
| Summary | During the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), gentlemen appearing in public always wore appropriate headwear. A hat made of woven horsehair, known as a 'gat/kat' (갓), was the distinctive sign of a well-born man, and complemented his outfit of wide trousers, cross-fastened jacket, and long flowing cloak. Its horsehair crown and the brim, made of bamboo strands, are joined together then lacquered. The height of the crown and the diameter of the brim have changed with time, and the gat’s size became smaller after the decree of 1895 prohibiting hair topknots. 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. |
| Bibliographic reference | Bailey and Wilkinson, 'Korean art in the Victoria and Albert Museum', Korean Culture, 18:1 (1997) p.8-9 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.1852:1-1993 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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