Hosu (虎鬚): Tiger Whiskers and the Elegance of Joseon Military Attire
Summary: In Insadong, I came across a curious item made from tiger whiskers—called hosu (虎鬚). Learn how these whiskers became accessories in Joseon-era military dress, and explore the refined elegance of historical Korean men's fashion.
Hosu (虎鬚): Tiger Whiskers and the Elegance of Joseon Military Attire
A few days ago, I visited Insadong and stumbled upon a curious object at the Insa Art Center. It looked like a tiny broom made of dried twigs, just the right size to fit in an adult man's palm. Too small to be a broom, too coarse to be a brush—what was this mysterious item?
Just then, one of the staff said, “That’s hosu.”
Hosu? As in lake (湖水)? Or maybe horse? Hose, like the one for watering trees? I was even more confused.
Then they clarified, “It’s tiger whiskers.”
Wait—tiger whiskers? That long, thick, and stiff?
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| Tiger whiskers used as traditional accessory @pexels |
Until then, I had only seen tigers in zoos or documentaries. I imagined them to be large animals, of course, but never realized just how big until I saw those whiskers. If those stiff strands once sprouted from a tiger’s muzzle, how massive must the animal have been?
Encountering such a beast in the wild must have felt like facing a moving house. One roar, and I imagine anyone’s knees would buckle—if not from fear, then perhaps from something even more embarrassing. The old Korean saying, “Even when attacked by a tiger, stay alert,” suddenly made more sense. Chances are, most people didn’t stay alert at all.
So What Was This Hosu For?
The strange item turned out to be actual tiger whiskers, or hosu (虎鬚). But what were they used for?
In the Joseon Dynasty, hosu were used as ornaments attached to both sides of the jurip (朱笠)—a red hat worn by high-ranking military officers (dangsanggwan) when they wore their ceremonial military uniform, called yungbok (戎服).
Jurip were bamboo hats lacquered in red, unlike the everyday black heukrip (黑笠). The vivid red must have made the wearers look like walking sirens during royal processions or emergencies.
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| Jurip, the red bamboo hat of Chosen military officers |
▶ See hosu image from Sillok Wiki
🟥 Hat Colors by Occasion
- Heukrip (흑립) – Black hat for daily wear
- Baekrip (백립) – White hat for mourning
- Jurip (주립) – Red hat worn with yungbok
The people of Joseon were masters of style, often surpassing modern fashion in complexity and subtlety. Male grooming was a serious matter—so much so that the scholar Lee Deok-mu (이덕무), known for his meticulousness, even left behind a list of dos and don’ts when wearing a gat (traditional hat).
Tips from the Past
- Don't wear a gat string that’s too wide.
- Don’t tighten the manggeon (headband) too much—it’ll leave marks.
- Don’t wear it too loosely either.
- Don’t pull it so tight that your eyes stretch upward.
- Don’t let the manggeon cover your eyebrows.
- Always wear a gat, unless mourning or imprisoned.
- Don’t tilt your gat backward.
- Don’t carry it by its strings.
- Don’t side-eye under your hat.
- Don’t let the gat string cross your ears.
- Don’t use bamboo strings in the city—even if they’re fine for the countryside.
The shape and height of the gat varied by era. Accessories like the gwanja (hook) or string material were also indicators of one’s status. The materials were even regulated by law:
- Ranks 1–3: gold or jade
- Lower ranks and commoners: bone, horn, amber, agate
What started as a simple discovery of tiger whiskers in Insadong led me down a path into the world of Joseon-era men’s fashion. The fact that such ornamental practices were once so widespread they required legal regulation says something about human nature—perhaps our desire to adorn ourselves is encoded in our DNA.
But of course, fashion requires effort. Even a little bit of elegance takes a good amount of discipline and dedication. Sometimes, I wonder if I too should be a little more diligent—with my style, and maybe, with my writing too. :)
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