Norigae

is a typical, traditional Korean accessory used in, which can be hung on of a woman's or on her. The functions as a decorative pendant and is both a good-luck charm hoped to bring something such as eternal youth, wealth or many sons, as well as a fashion accessory. Usually, the from the parents' or in-laws' home was passed down to descendants.

Terminology

The word originally referred to "pretty and playful objects" or "favourite trinkets" signifying women's liking for the tassel charm regardless of social ranks.

History

Origins

The exact origins of the are unknown, but the current knotting tassel known as ' can be traced back to the Joseon dynasty and was an item worn exclusively by the Joseon. It is also difficult to pinpoint the exact time when the ' started to be widely used.
Some sources state that the ' might have been a protective emblem called ' used in primitive shamanism and was worn initially by children. However, the true archetype of appears to be the waist pendant worn in the Silla period.

Joseon

In Joseon, all women of different classes wore the ' from queens to commoners. The ' also served to distinguish social ranks and social status. Different shapes and sizes signified the different occasions the ' was worn to as well as which season to wear it in. The ' could also be used as a chest or a waist decorations.

Composition

The is composed by three basic parts: the main ornament, elaborate knots, the tassel on the lowest part. A can be divided into 4 parts: the which is a hook to attach the to the, the which is the main ornament of the, the which are the knots of the, and the which are the tassels.
The can be categorize to sizes, large, medium and small according to the person who wears the or places at. For example, the for infant will be much smaller one than adult's. In Joseon Dynasty, the King Yeonsangun used the luxuriousness and sizes of to classify the social rank of his women.
The have various shapes derived from nature or from everyday life. They are divided into and . The can be further divided into the and the. Both the and the have the same form, but each one's is different.

Main Ornament

The main ornament,, for making is usually using gold, silver, jewels, and precious stone.
The motifs of main ornament are cut down into 5 basic branches, such as animal, plants, daily objects, characters, and religious symbols. For example, some auspicious characters include the Chinese character, 《壽》 which represents longevity. The religious symbols are typically motifs that represents Buddhism.

Knots

The uses coloured cord to braid into various shapes. The type of knot has to follow the design of main ornament. The big size of the main ornament parts will combine with small knots. The small main ornament comes along with large knots. The types of knots have to match the whole weight the is going to be.

Tassel

The, which are tassels, are made out of colored silk thread and placed at the lower parts.

The or a clasp means a metal hook used in the '. The purpose is to attach the ' together and be able to hang on the clothes. There are a variety of shapes for, includes butterfly shape and typical circular shape or squared shape.