JENINGS] 



KOREAN HEADDRESSES 



151 



insignia of rank, about half an inch in diameter, are worn back 

 of each ear and fastened to the head by a string (fig. 5). Five 

 grades of nobiUty are thus repre- 

 sented: (a) Ta-kum, first rank, 

 smooth white jade; (&) second rank, 

 smooth gold; (c) Yonng-kimi, third 

 rank, carved gold; {d) fourth rank, 

 carved white jade; {c) Na-ri, fifth 

 rank, tortoise shell (anciently of sil- 

 ver). The button of the royal family 

 is of smooth green jade. 



The national hat of Korea (kat) is 

 made of fine silk over a bamboo 

 framework, stiffened with size (fig. 

 •6). It has a small, cylindrical, trun- 

 cated crown and a broad brim with 

 long tying strings. The diameter of 

 the brim is 18 inches and the height of 

 crown 4^ inches. In ancient times 

 the brim was, by royal edict, very 

 much wider to prevent conspirators 

 from whispering to each other, the 

 stiff brims keeping them some distance 

 apart. This illustrates a national char- 

 acteristic of Koreans, their suspicion 

 of every one, and it will be many years 



before this universal pecu- 

 liarity is eradicated in this 

 otherwise kind, genial peo- 

 ple. The kon is a wide, 

 circular band of black 

 horsehair, 73^ inches high, 

 worn by those of the liter- 

 ary class who have not yet 

 passed a civil service ex- 

 amination or held office 

 (fig. 7). It may also be 

 worn by one who passes 

 the second grade of merit 

 at the literary or military 

 examinations before holding office, but the lower class of merchants 

 and laborers, unless after such examination, cannot wear it. 



Fig. 5. — Buttons for headband 

 denoting rank of nobility. 

 (About ^3 nat. size.) 



Fig. 4. — Hatpins for topknot, (yi nat. size.) 



