Special Collection

Khorjins

What better way to gain a glimpse of 'people of the horse' than by looking at their brilliantly coloured baggage - the khorjin that created beauty out of portability.

Dennis R Dodds, Hali Vol 5 No.4 p446

Transportation of goods and chattels was a key aspect of tribal life. Animal trappings such as saddle-bags, horse covers and horse braids reflect that importance.

The weavings of the different tribes can be separated by design, materials and woven structure, though certain techniques and functions are common to all groups.

Hali, Issue 194, Chinese Edition, 2017, p.87

In the Jozan Oriental Rug News of 27 January 2025, Ivan Soenderholm, reviewing Paul Ramsey's virtual lecture & presentation titled "Nomads of West Iran & Their Amazing Transport Bags,"  (25 Jan 2025), said the following

   "Ramsey’s lecture was an engaging and visually rich

   exploration of the nomadic groups of Iran’s Zagros region,

   including the Shahsavan, Kurds, Luri, Bakhtiari, Qashga’i,

   and Khamseh Federation. He discussed the seasonal

   migrations of these groups, who moved with their flocks

   between winter pastures and summer grasslands. Women in

   these communities created handmade transport bags to carry

   necessities like tents, bedding, food, and cookware during

   these migrations. Ramsey highlighted the artistry of these

   bags, including the double-sided khorjin and trunk-like 

   mafrash, which served as both practical tools and decorative

   masterpieces.

   The intricately designed fronts, or “faces,” of the bags

   often outlasted their functional use and are now

   celebrated as woven artworks in private collections."

Dr Jon Thompson, celebrated expert in the field, had this to say about sumak bags:

"... they represent one of the high points of Near Eastern textile art in the nineteenth century. These jewel-like pieces are valued by collectors and connoisseurs for their rich colours, diverse designs and their outstanding materials and weave: with their abstract style, they can also appear strikingly modern."

Introduction to ' SUMAK BAGS of Northern Persia and Transcaucasia', John T, Wertime, Hali, 1998.