6/4/25, 6:39 PM Ayam (cap) - Wikipedia
Ayam (cap)
An ayam (아얌) is a Korean traditional winter cap
mostly worn by women in the Joseon period (1392 – Ayam
1910) for protection against the cold.[1] It is also called
aegeom which literally means "covering a forehead" in
Korean. There is a historical record which mentions that
officials in a low class called iseo (이서, 吏 胥 ) wore
ayam in the early Joseon period, so it was a unisex cap.
However, it is not clear whether the shape at that time
was identical to that of the later period. During the late
Joseon period, an ayam was usually worn by female
commoners. Especially in the western part of Korea,
kisaeng (female Korean entertainers) commonly wore
an ayam, and they were also worn as a simple formal
headgear.[2]
Composition
The ayam generally consists of mobu (모부, a crown)
and deurim (드림) which are shaped like daenggi (댕기)
Modernized ayam
or a big ribbon. The upper 4–5 cm part of the mobu is
finely quilted, the vertical line of the front shorter than Korean name
the back's. On the bottom edge, the front part is more Hangul 아얌; 액엄
curved than the back. In addition, the vertical lines of Hanja (none); 額掩
the front and back are a little curvy, so that, when
Revised Romanization ayam; aegeom
wearing an ayam, it fits well to one's head. Black or
purple silk is used for the upper quilted part of the outer McCune–Reischauer ayam; aegŏm
fabric, while black or dark brown fur is used for the rest
of the mobu. The fabric for the inner is red cotton flannel.[2]
The tassel attached to the upper center of both front and back is mostly red in color and the strings
connected from both sides are all flat braids. However, some ayam worn by kisaeng were very
luxuriously adorned with big and sumptuous jewels, such as jade, amber, or orpiment, on the tassels
of both sides.[2]
There are two types of deurim hung on the back of ayam. One is made with two sheets of fabric in a
9–10 cm width which are linked together lightly. The other is made of one sheet of fabric in an 18–
20 cm width, with the center folded. On the center line of the deurim are decorations of jade, amber,
and others gems, and the length is usually over 100 cm. The ayam worn for spring and autumn has
the same shape as the one for winter, but it is made of a lighter silk.[2]
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6/4/25, 6:39 PM Ayam (cap) - Wikipedia
Expression
The Korean expression "ayang tteolda (아양떨다)" which means to flatter or to perform aegyo to look
cute around the people, originated from the act of shaking the "ayam".[3]
See also
List of hat styles
Hanbok
Hwagwan
Jokduri
Jobawi
List of Korean clothing
Mob cap
Tubeteika
References
1. "Hanboks (Traditional Clothing)" (https://web.archive.org/web/20131002225735/http://english.visit
korea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_1_2.jsp). Headgear and Accessories Worn Together with Hanbok.
Korea Tourism Organization. Archived from the original (http://russian.tour2korea.com/enu/CU/CU
_EN_8_1_2.jsp) on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
2. 아얌 (https://web.archive.org/web/20110610050645/http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=
K&i=249310&v=45) (in Korean). Nate / EncyKorea. Archived from the original (http://100.nate.co
m/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=249310&v=45) on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
3. "아양떨다" (https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=2045118&cid=50802&categoryId=50811).
naver ency.
Yu Hui-gyeong (유희경, 柳喜卿) (1980). Research on Korean Costume (한국복식사연구) (in
Korean). Ewha Womans University Publishing.
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