Tiger Whiskers

Hosu is a hat decoration affixed on a straw hat or an official red hat, which were worn with a military uniform in the Joseon Dynasty. It consisted of four pieces as a set. At first, barley ears were used as hosu, but as they were weak and easily broken, they were later replaced by tiger whiskers. As tiger whiskers were not easily obtained, however, they were replaced by white animal hairs or thin bamboo strips.