gache

{{Short description|Traditional Korean wig laden with accessories}}

{{About|a kind of wig worn by Korean women|the cake|Guernsey Gâche}}

{{italic title|reason=

}}

{{infobox Korean name

|img=Korean women wearing hanbok and gache.jpg

|hangul=가체

|hanja=加髢

|rr=gache

|mr=kach'e

|}}

The {{Transliteration|ko|gache}} ({{korean|hangul=가체|hanja=加髢}}) is a traditional Korean wig worn by women. Historically, {{Transliteration|ko|gache}} were expensive accessories worn only by women of high social standing, alongside {{Transliteration|ko|kisaeng}}. They were decorated with silk objects, gold, jewels, silver, coral, jade, and other expensive materials. Certain decorations were reserved for royalty.

History

Historically, women of high social backgrounds and {{Transliteration|ko|kisaeng}} wore {{Transliteration|ko|gache}}, with larger and heavier wigs considered to be more aesthetically pleasing. Due to the expense of purchasing a new {{Transliteration|ko|gache}}, some lower-class families took up to 6–7 years preparing a new {{Transliteration|ko|gache}} wig for their new daughter-in-law.{{langx|ko|무거운 '가체' 때문에 사망한 사람이 있다!}} http://kdaq.empas.com/knowhow/view.html?num=451347l

Use of the {{Transliteration|ko|gache}} flourished in Goryeo, the Three Kingdoms, Balhae, the Gaya confederacy, and Gojoseon. {{Transliteration|ko|Gache}} became so popular that in 1788, King Jeongjo of Joseon prohibited and banned by royal decree the use of {{Transliteration|ko|gache}}, as they were deemed contrary to Confucian values of reserve and restraint.The Traditional Art of Beauty and Perfume in Ancient Korea by Guest Contributor Pauline http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2008/04/beauty_perfume_in_traditional.html

In the 19th century, {{Transliteration|ko|yangban}} women began to wear the {{Transliteration|ko|jokduri}}, a small hat that substituted for the {{Transliteration|ko|gache}}. However, {{Transliteration|ko|gache}} still enjoyed vast popularity in {{Transliteration|ko|kisaeng}} circles and traditional weddings.

{{Transliteration|ko|Gache}} were known for their relatively heavy weight, totalling around {{convert|3|-|4|kg}} with accessories; one record reports an incident where a heavy {{Transliteration|ko|gache}} wig led to the death of a 13-year-old bride, as the heavy wig compromised her neck as she was getting up to greet her father-in-law entering the room.

Gallery

File:Empress Sunjeong, 1909.jpg|Empress Sunjeong of the Korean Empire, 1909

File:Korean hairpin-Tteoljam-01.jpg|Modern representation

File:Gache002.jpg|18th-century illustration of a gache

File:Gache004.jpg|Illustration from the late 18th-century

File:Korea-Dae Jang Geum Theme Park-17.jpg|Cutouts on display the Dae Jang Geum Theme Park, depicting Yang Mi-kyung and Kyeon Mi-ri playing the roles of Lady Han and Lady Choi wearing a gache

See also

  • {{Transliteration|ko|Hanbok}}

References

{{Reflist}}