The Curious Profession of the Joseon Royal Court: The Gache Cleaning of the SangGung

The 'Gache,' a glamorous hairstyle worn by women in the Joseon Dynasty's royal court, was as difficult to manage as it was magnificent in size. Since Gache was made from real human hair, it easily absorbed grease and odors, yet it couldn't be washed freely with water. To solve this problem, there were dedicated SangGung (palace ladies) in the royal court responsible for managing the Gache. To remove contaminants, they used a 'dry cleaning method': instead of water, they carefully sprinkled calamus powder, red bean powder, and rice bran to absorb grease, then meticulously brushed it out multiple times with a fine comb. Behind the splendor of the Joseon royal court, hailed as the pinnacle of the nation, lay the intricate management techniques of the palace ladies who battled grease stains while shaking out the hair.