A Study on the Transformation of the Koguryŏ Kwanmo(冠帽 ; Official Cap)

The kwanmo(冠帽 ; official cap) of Koguryŏ was not merely part of ceremonial attire but served as a crucial marker of social and political status. In the early period, status distinctions were made through types such as ch’aek(幘) and chŏlp’ung(折風), but over time, the form, material, and ornamentation of the kwanmo became more elaborate, transforming into a symbol of hierarchical rank. This study examines the transformation of the kwanmo by analyzing references in Chinese dynastic histories－such as the Sanguozhi(三國志), Weishu(魏書), Zhoushu(周書), Suishu(隋書), and Beishi(北史)－along with visual evidence from Koguryŏ tomb murals. It also considers the influence of Chinese migrants, some of whom entered the Koguryŏ bureaucracy and likely served as agents of cultural transmission. Their attire may have contributed to the development of Koguryŏ’s official caps, including the chou-ugwan(鳥羽冠 ; feather-crested cap), which likely emerged through both external cultural adoption and internal institutional evolution.