Cream Khorjin Runner
This cream Khorjin runner is hand knotted in Afghanistan from wool and measures 413 x 73 cm, or about 3.0 square metres. Its ivory ground carries bands of small rust, navy and sage motifs, so it suits a hallway or a long, narrow space.
The design up close
The ground is a warm ivory, and the field is divided into horizontal bands. Several bands are made of tiny chain-like rows of dots and links in rust and navy. Others carry zigzag and triangle borders, and a few have small flower and star shapes set at even intervals.
Several bands hold larger diamond and hexagon medallions in brick red, rust and navy, outlined with cream. The medallions sit at intervals along the length, so the runner has a steady rhythm from one end to the other. This cream Khorjin runner is busier than a plain runner, but the cream ground keeps the bands from feeling heavy.
Narrow guard bands frame the top and bottom, and short fringe finishes both ends. The colours change from band to band, with sage and dusty blue appearing in a few places.
The darker bands, where rust and navy dominate, sit between lighter ivory bands, so the rug alternates light and dark from top to bottom. Read along the length, the bands repeat in the same order from one end to the other, so the runner reads as a sequence of stripes, one band after another. Lines of tiny rust dots run between the wider bands, and each band is fairly narrow, which keeps the pattern tight and even.
From saddlebag to rug
Khorjin rugs take their name from the Khorjin, a woven saddlebag. A Khorjin is a pair of woven bags joined together and carried over a horse or donkey, traditionally decorated with geometric patterns. Today’s Khorjin rugs take that look across the whole field, often in many colours, and this runner does the same with its bands of small motifs.
How it is made
Each knot in this cream Khorjin runner was tied by hand on a loom, and the design shows clearly on the back as well as the front. Hand-spun wool gives the yarn a slightly uneven, natural thickness. Our records note vegetable dyes.
Each motif is built from individual knots, so the small diamonds and zigzags take far longer to tie than a plain stripe would. Look at the back of this cream Khorjin runner and the design is still clear, with crisp edges where the knots meet the bands.
Sizing a cream Khorjin runner in your hallway
At 413 x 73 cm, this cream Khorjin runner covers about 3.0 square metres. For a hallway, a width of about 95 to 115 cm leaves roughly 11 to 21 cm of floor on each side. Its length suits a long hall or a kitchen galley where it runs from one door to the other.
The cream ground and warm bands suit timber floors, pale walls and natural linen. Runners like this one are a practical choice among handmade traditional rugs for a hallway.
Because the runner is long and narrow, it works well as a visual guide along a corridor. Keep the ends clear of furniture so the fringe and guard bands stay visible, and turn the runner end to end now and then so the most-walked part moves along its length.
See it before you buy
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this cream Khorjin runner in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book an in-home viewing and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Khorjin Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Afghan rugs.
