Kach'e

Kach'e
Korean name
Hangul	가체
Hanja	加髢
RR	gache
MR	kach'e

The kach'e (Korean: 가체; Hanja: 加髢) is a traditional Korean wig worn by women. Historically, kach'e were expensive accessories worn only by women of high social standing, alongside 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 kisaeng wore kach'e, with larger and heavier wigs considered to be more aesthetically pleasing. Due to the expense of purchasing a new kach'e, some lower-class families took up to 6–7 years preparing a new kach'e wig for their new daughter-in-law.^[1]

Use of the kach'e flourished in Goryeo, the Three Kingdoms, Balhae, the Gaya confederacy, and Gojoseon. Kach'e became so popular that in 1788, King Jeongjo of Joseon prohibited and banned by royal decree the use of kach'e, as they were deemed contrary to Confucian values of reserve and restraint.^[2]

In the 19th century, yangban women began to wear the jokduri, a small hat that substituted for the kach'e. However, kach'e still enjoyed vast popularity in kisaeng circles and traditional weddings.

Kach'e were known for their relatively heavy weight, totalling around 3–4 kilograms (6.6–8.8 lb) with accessories; one record reports an incident where a heavy kach'e 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.