Jaff bags & trappings
Jaff bags & antique tribal trappings.
This is where weaving becomes pure object: bags, saddle covers, torbas, and tent bands woven as part of a woman’s dowry - art that was never meant to be sold or leave the tribal setting. Functional, beautiful, and often status symbols, these undervalued weavings are vivid reminders of a culture that has largely vanished.
A collector's love affair
The Jaff Kurd bag that started it.
It was October 1998, at the first AORTA conference in Tucson. Across the atrium, a dealer unpacked the most amazing Jaff Kurd half-kordjin we had ever seen - recently out of wash, sourced from a New England estate, and once listed in an 1889 household inventory simply as an "Antique Persian Pillow." We bought it. That bag began a lasting fascination with the format.
Questions
Good to know
What is a Jaff bag?
A flat-woven and knotted bag face (often a half-kordjin or chuval) made by the Jaff Kurds, prized for bold latch-hook diamond designs and saturated natural color. Antique examples are increasingly rare.
Can these be hung or framed?
Framing is not recomended because it allows for the potential of pests getting in from behind the piece, doing damage the owner is unaware of because of inaccessability and besides, one of the prized experiences, is the physical handling of the piece.
Do you buy tribal trappings?
We do consider acquisitions and consignments of strong tribal material. Send photos and we will tell you honestly what we see.
Inquire
Speak with a specialist about a rug or project.
Tell us the piece, the room, the size you need, or the project timeline. We respond personally with price, condition notes, additional photos, video, and shipping or in-home approval.
Carpets of the Inner Circle
15 Ross Ave, San Anselmo, CA 94960
(415) 398-2988 · Open daily 10–5