# Traditional Korean Hat Transformed into Modern Lamp Design

Joseon Dynasty's iconic headwear reimagined as functional lighting product.

- **Source:** [Yanko Design](https://brifing.si/source/41d28791-ef47-4e0b-a40a-2a5efca0c11b)
- **Published:** 2026-08-22
- **Topic:** [Design & UX](https://brifing.si/c/design)
- **Original article:** <https://www.yankodesign.com/2026/08/22/this-korean-hat-was-always-meant-to-be-a-lamp-and-finally-became-one/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-korean-hat-was-always-meant-to-be-a-lamp-and-finally-became-one>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/f0989996-dba0-4d6d-9b89-a7e4efb0b957

## Modern Interpretation of Cultural Heritage

The GAT lamp draws inspiration from the gat, a traditional Korean hat worn by scholars and nobles during the Joseon Dynasty. Woven from horsehair and bamboo, this hat communicated social status through its form alone. Designers reinterpreted this historical object through the philosophy of Ongojisin - a Confucian principle meaning 'warming the old to know the new,' which emphasizes discovering new value from tradition rather than merely reproducing it.

## Detailed Evolution of Form

The lamp's cylindrical body precisely mirrors the gat's tall crown portion. The fine horizontal ridges on the surface recall the texture of traditional horsehair weaving. The wide disc at the bottom recreates the hat's brim as a gently expanding serving dish form. These details transform the object into functional lighting while preserving all proportions and surface characteristics of the original hat.

## Hidden Cultural References

The lamp's interior features a lattice pattern inspired by traditional Korean window screens. This detail remains invisible under normal light but when illuminated, warm amber light filters through the ribbed surface much like it once did through hanji paper. The resulting diffused, indirect lighting recreates the atmosphere of traditional candlelit rooms in a contemporary way.

## Multifunctional Design Approach

The wide disc form serves more than aesthetic purposes; it also functions as a tray to hold everyday items like rings and earbuds. This combination of lighting and surface storage in a single object represents an innovation rare in its category. A groove on the underside allows wall mounting - mirroring how traditional gat hats were displayed in Korean homes.

## Cultural Fidelity in User Experience

The lighting module secures by twisting into place, mimicking how a traditional gat would be positioned on the head: place, rotate, lock. Multiple units can be stacked. At no point does the design compromise the spirit of the original form. The horizontal ridges, interior lattice, tray-converted brim, and wall hook groove - each element maintains direct connection to its source form.

## From Historical Symbolism to Modern Function

What was historically a status symbol now becomes an object that holds what you put down at day's end. Interestingly, the word 'gat' served as a common term for both something that covers flame and something worn on the head. The GAT lamp completes this circle - 'wearing light' transitions from metaphor to the object's actual function.

## Design Background

SAQ Design team conducted extensive research on gat hats at the Korean National Folk Museum before starting the project. Historical records show that during the Joseon period, gat hats were sometimes used to diffuse lamp flames - the hat and light already accompanied each other. Designers brought this historical connection into the present, materializing the organic relationship between the two objects in a physical product.

## Universal Value of Cultural Design

The GAT lamp stands as a successful example of translating authentic cultural heritage into global design language. It carries meaning not just for Koreans but for design enthusiasts worldwide. Like the original gat did for centuries, the object signals presence and considered taste in a room without requiring explanation from its owner.

## Sources covering this story

- https://www.yankodesign.com/2026/08/22/this-korean-hat-was-always-meant-to-be-a-lamp-and-finally-became-one/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-korean-hat-was-always-meant-to-be-a-lamp-and-finally-became-one — 

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_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._