The Samo was a black headdress with wings on the sides of the head, of a rounded shape, it was different both because it was lower and stockier in shape than the Gat, which was the hat used by Koreans of high lineage (those who wore their hair tied in the Sangtu style, tied in a tight knot above the head), used above all by the military with peacock feathers to embellish it and differentiate their lineage and by middle class men who tied it with a black ribbon under the ment while the Korean nobles stood out in the Gat, because they used a long pearl necklace as decoration.
The Samo had been used, as a daily hat by court officials at the end of the Goreyo dynasty and then throughout the Joseon historical period, it was a symbol of authority, above all it was the distinctive sign worn by palace officials, government officials linked to the laws, such as magistrates, military leaders at court and high advisors to the King.
It was generally made of black silk, with variations in color and shape, during the different periods of the Joseon dynasty, it was worn for both formal and informal occasions, during social life but used in funeral ceremonies instead of black it was white, a color linked to mourning.
During the historical eras the Samo underwent many variations, in the late Goreyo period, beginning of the Joseon period, the Samo was short and the tips of the two wings on the side of the headdress were round, long and pointed downwards, and then widened over time, until they became like two ribbons on the sides of the hat, in 1800 the two lateral wings became shorter so much so that they almost disappeared folded inwards as if to wrap the headdress.
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Paola Pelissa