Jajim ( Persian: جاجیم; Azerbaijani: Cecim; Turkish: Cicim; Russian: Джаджим) also spelled as gelims, or jajim-bafi, [1] is a handmade, flat-woven textile made of colored natural fiber which is created and used in the majority of villages and rural areas of Iran. [2] [3] Other locations the Jajim is found include Azerbaijan, Turkey, and India.
The nomadic Shahsevan people are thought to be the originators of the handicraft. [4] Jajim is a thicker textile, similar to a blanket. The yarn used to created Jajim are either wool, cotton, or a wool and cotton-blend. In contrast to the classically woven kilims and carpets which is a single panel, to weave a Jajim you create multiple narrow woven panels (often 4) and the panels are sewn together. [5]
They traditionally were used as way for nomadic people to pack their belongings for migration. [6] They have also been used as a mattress, to wrap a bed, [7] as a korsi cover (a table heater), [7] as a curtain, [5] as a tent, [5] and as a carpet. After a Qashqai bride and groom are married, they use Jajim to create a ceremonial tent. [5]
Since 2020, the Iran Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism has been investing money in promoting the ancient craft through an educational program. [1] Several museum collections have Jajims, include at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF). [8]
Jajim ( Persian: جاجیم; Azerbaijani: Cecim; Turkish: Cicim; Russian: Джаджим) also spelled as gelims, or jajim-bafi, [1] is a handmade, flat-woven textile made of colored natural fiber which is created and used in the majority of villages and rural areas of Iran. [2] [3] Other locations the Jajim is found include Azerbaijan, Turkey, and India.
The nomadic Shahsevan people are thought to be the originators of the handicraft. [4] Jajim is a thicker textile, similar to a blanket. The yarn used to created Jajim are either wool, cotton, or a wool and cotton-blend. In contrast to the classically woven kilims and carpets which is a single panel, to weave a Jajim you create multiple narrow woven panels (often 4) and the panels are sewn together. [5]
They traditionally were used as way for nomadic people to pack their belongings for migration. [6] They have also been used as a mattress, to wrap a bed, [7] as a korsi cover (a table heater), [7] as a curtain, [5] as a tent, [5] and as a carpet. After a Qashqai bride and groom are married, they use Jajim to create a ceremonial tent. [5]
Since 2020, the Iran Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism has been investing money in promoting the ancient craft through an educational program. [1] Several museum collections have Jajims, include at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF). [8]