Fujin () is a type of ''guanmao'' (冠帽), a male traditional
headgear
Headgear, headwear, or headdress is any element of clothing which is worn on one's Human head, head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protective clothing, protection against t ...
generally made from a black fabric in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
.
The fujin is a form of hood made on one width of cloth, from which its Chinese name derived from.
It was usually worn with
Shenyi in the
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
. The fujin was later adopted in
Joseon
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
where it became known as bokgeon () and became known as the 'hat of the Confucian scholars'.
The fujin also influenced the development of other headwear such as the
futou.
China
In China, the fujin was a popular form of headwear among all the different members of the social strata.
It was especially popular amongst the
Eastern Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
scholar-bureaucrats.
The fujin also later influenced the development of the
futou.
Korea
According to the ''Random Expatiations of Oju'' written by
Yi Gyu-gyeong in the 18th century'', "In the Chinese
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
, many kings and the nobility admired the attire of scholars and considered wearing the bokgeon an elegant way of dressing. Consequently, the bokgeon which used to be worn by people of humble origins, became part of scholarly attire by the end of the dynasty".
''
Though the bokgeon was initially worn only during important events, it was worn by most men of high-standing by the Joseon period.
It was also worn by Joseon noblemen, scholar officials, and students of Confucianism together with
simui and
hakchangui up until the late Joseon period.
The bokgeon along with simui was also worn during the coming-of-age ceremonies.
From the late Joseon, the bokgeon became a common form of headwear for young boys. It continues to be worn in present-day Korea where baby boys wear bokgeon on their first birthday or on traditional holidays.
Construction and design
The fujin is made of one-width of cloth.
In Korea, the rear part of the bokgeon is curved and there are 2 pleats above each ears.
Inside the lower pleats, there are 2 straps which are sewn; these two straps are tied at the back. The bokgeon is made of black silk or gauze.
It was mainly black in colour, although dark blue bokgeon also existed.
Members of the
scholar-official
The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class.
Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...
class decorated their ''fujin'' with gold leaf.
See also
*
Futou
*
Hanfu
''Hanfu'' (, lit. "Han Chinese, Han clothing"), also known as ''Hanzhuang'' (), are the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese since the 2nd millennium BCE. There are several representative styles of ''hanfu'', such as the (an ...
*
Hanbok
The hanbok () is the traditional clothing of the Koreans, Korean people. The term ''hanbok'' is primarily used by South Koreans; North Koreans refer to the clothes as (). The clothes are also worn in the Korean diaspora. Koryo-saram—ethnic Ko ...
*
List of Hanfu headwear
*
Shenyi
References
External links
Chinese headgear
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