Afghan Khorjin Rug

Add a splash of colour to your room with this handmade Afghan Khorjin rug. This stunning rug is the ultimate fusion of modern and traditional.

This 6x4 Afghan rug boasts a rich combination of colours. These colours include rust red, ochre, burnt orange, sludgy green, nutty brown, blue and cream. 

The design is a feast for your eyes too. It shows bands of pattern at each end along with a narrower band of pattern across the centre. Separating the horizontal bands of pattern are stripes without design in various colours. 

Learn some more about this Afghan Khorjin rug

This handmade Afghan rug seamlessly infuses a traditional concept with a modern twist.  

The design inspiration behind this Afghan rug is based upon the format and design repertoire of old and antique saddle-bags. These are known as a "Khorjin" (sometimes spelt Khurjeen, as well as other variations). A Khorjin is a saddle-bag used by nomads with a pocket on each side. They can be made entirely of Kilim flat-weave or partly with pile on the decorative face of the bags. 

This Khorjin design takes the form of pattern on either end of the rug with a dividing section of stripes – on an actual saddle-bag this striped area would be made from flat weave (Kilim). This rug, however, is all pile.  

Find out what this Khorjin rug is made from

Although this is a new rug and has a modern look, it was in fact made from traditional rug making materials. These materials are hard wearing natural fibres: wool and cotton. 

The most noticeable of these materials is the wool pile. This is what captures our attention with it's rich colours and intriguing patterns. The woollen yarn is hand-spun and coloured with natural dyes. The hand-spun yarn creates a strong woollen thread ensuring that this rug is not only luxurious, but is exceptionally durable too.

Another remarkable feature of this Khorjin rug is the beautiful fringe finishes. We can see an intricate lattice weave between the pile and the fringes which are grouped and wrapped with colourful yarns. Undoubtedly, an exquisite finishing touch! 

However, on further examination you can see the fringes are made of cotton and they serve a purpose greater than just looking nice. The fringes are actually an integral part of the rug. This is because each strand of fringe travels through the entire rug and surfaces again at the other end as a fringe. The fringes are known as the warp threads, and these are the yarns that the pile (knots) are secured onto. 

Discover how this colourful Afghan rug was made

The heritage theme continues in how this rug was made. This rug was expertly handcrafted by ancient carpet weaving techniques that have been perfected over generations. 

The woollen pile was made by the age-old method of hand-knotting. This is a meticulous and lengthy process by which each tuft of pile is formed from a hand-tied knot tied onto pairs of warp threads. The weaver ties the knots in horizontal rows from one side of the loom to the other, and this is followed by weaving weft threads between the warps. After compacting the wefts closely to the row of knots, the next line of knots can be tied. And so on. Row-by-row the rug begins to form. The weaver's precise knotting results in the different coloured knots forming the pattern of the rug. 

It's amazing to think that this Afghan Khorjin design rug contains in excess of 350,000 knots. You can't help but admire the talent and dedication of the weaver. 

Using this multicolour Khorjin rug in your home

This is a statement piece rug that will add warmth, colour and texture to any setting whether contemporary or traditional.

It's made from high quality natural fibres, so it is not only luxurious underfoot but is also hard wearing. The 6x4 size is useful too, it's a great size that will fit many locations in any home. The cosy colours and interesting patterns make it a great choice for use in living rooms, entrance halls and bedrooms. 

Key details: 

• Country of origin: Afghanistan
• Size: 188×124cm / 6’2″x4’1″
• Thickness: 7mm
• Pile: Wool, hand-knotted
• Warp: Cotton
• Age: New