A khorjin (also spelled khorjeen) is a double-bag textile, two woven pouches connected by a flat woven strip that allows them to be draped over the back of a pack animal, the saddle of a horse, or worn over the shoulder of a person. Khorjin were standard functional textiles across virtually every Oriental rug-weaving region.

Structure of a khorjin:

  • Two bag faces, one at each end, forming the pouches when folded
  • Connecting middle strip, the flat woven section between the two bags; rests across the animal's back or the wearer's shoulder
  • Closures, typically loops and woven cords at the bag openings, or fold-over flaps
  • Backs, often a plain or simply-patterned weave on the back of each bag, with the decorative front face being the focus of design work

Function across nomadic and semi-nomadic societies:

  • Pack animal storage, slung across the back of a horse, donkey, mule, or camel for transporting goods during travel
  • Personal carrying, smaller khorjin worn over the shoulder for daily errands and market trips
  • Household storage, when not in transit, hung on tent walls or stored as decorative pieces
  • Trade and travel, particularly important to merchants, travelers, and seasonal migrants

Khorjin sizes and types:

  • Full-size khorjin, large pieces for pack animals, typically with each bag face measuring 18-30 inches square
  • Half-size khorjin, smaller for shoulder carry or smaller animals
  • Chanteh, a related smaller bag form, often a single pouch rather than a paired double-bag
  • Heybe, Turkish term, generally equivalent to khorjin

Construction techniques:

  • Pile knot, many khorjin from Turkmen, Caucasian, and Persian traditions are knotted with pile on the bag faces
  • Soumak, particularly common in Shahsavan, Caucasian, and Persian Baluch khorjin
  • Kilim flatweave, used widely across regions for simpler khorjin
  • Combination, many khorjin combine pile faces with kilim backs, or soumak faces with kilim middle strips

Major khorjin traditions:

  • Persian tribal khorjin, Qashqai, Bakhtiari, Afshar, Baluch, Shahsavan, Luri
  • Caucasian khorjin, Shirvan, Kazak, Karabakh
  • Turkmen khorjin, Tekke, Yomut, Salor, Ersari (in the broader Turkmen "bag" category)
  • Anatolian khorjin, from various Yörük and Kurdish tribes

In the antique market, khorjin are particularly collected because they showcase tribal weavers' best design work, the bag faces were often more elaborately patterned than full-size rugs from the same weavers. The combination of small scale, intense pattern density, and authentic tribal character makes complete khorjin pairs (both bags + middle strip intact) some of the most decoratively useful tribal pieces for contemporary interiors.