Shahsavan Jajim

ref: 22297

2500 - 5000 EUR

186 x 208 cm
6' 1¹/₅" x 6' 9⁹/₁₀"
warp and weft: wool
Shahsavan, North West Iran

Coulours may appear different on the website than in reality. All mentioned prices and sizes are indicative and not binding. Possibly some rugs that are still online, are not available anymore in the showroom.

Jajims were traditionally woven on horizontal looms, nowadays they are also made on vertical looms. The warps are stopped by a cylinder at the extremities and are gathered per colour. The wefts are then pulled through and tightened with a metal comb. The density of warps is higher than the wefts. The most simple jajim shows very simple lines, some wider than others, in plain colours. The weaver has chosen these colours by putting his warps on the loom. The less numerous wefts are invisible. Adding wefts, wrapping them around the warps to create patterns, is called keshme. Warps can also be added to create new patterns. The strips are never wider than 50 cm but can reach a length of 10m. Once the bands are completed, they will be cut to be put together to form a wide square or rectangle textile.

Shahsavan tribes lived and wandered in a vast area in NW Iran going from the borders of the Caucasian republics (despite the  annexation by the Soviets) to the North of Qom.

Shahsavans of Moghan are mainly settling around mount Savalan during summer. The mountain is loaded with mythical symbols . Some say the tomb of Zarathoustra is on top of it under a rock, some others say the mountain was taken by Archangel Gabriel who flew with it in his arms and dropped it on top of the city of Sodom, and others are convinced that hair locks that belonged to the Prophet Mohamed are on the bottom of the mountain lake. About twenty clans live in the plain, very few remained nomads.