The Jaff (also spelled Jaf) are one of the largest Kurdish tribal confederations, living along the borderlands of western Iran and northeastern Iraq — primarily in Kermanshah Province in Iran and the Sulaymaniyah region of Iraqi Kurdistan. The Jaff are historically pastoral nomads who developed a distinctive weaving tradition tied to functional textiles for nomadic life.
What distinguishes Jaff Kurd weaving:
- Bold geometric designs — diamond-shape repeating medallions, hooked motifs, geometric medallion lattices
- Strong color palette — deep madder reds, saturated indigo blues, ivory, with accents of saffron yellow and natural brown
- All-wool construction with hand-spun, naturally-dyed wool in older pieces
- Symmetric (Turkish) knot in most production
- Moderate knot density (typically 80–180 KPSI)
Jaff Kurd bag faces are the most celebrated category within this tradition. These are the decorated front panels of khorjin (saddle bags) woven by Jaff weavers — typically small rectangular pieces, roughly 24x32 inches, featuring elaborate geometric medallion designs in saturated tribal colors. The bag faces are often removed from their original khorjin construction and sold separately as decorative pieces, where they work beautifully as small accent rugs, wall hangings, or pillow covers.
Beyond bag faces, Jaff weavers produce:
- Full pile rugs — typically scatter to small area sizes
- Kilims — flatwoven pieces
- Saddle covers and other functional textiles for nomadic life
In the antique rug market, Jaff Kurd bags from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are particularly prized. The combination of small scale, intense pattern density, saturated natural-dye colors, and authentic tribal character makes them some of the most decoratively useful Kurdish weavings for contemporary interiors.