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Under review

Kilim (Gelim) vs Jajim

گلیم · جاجیم

Kilim (Gelim): A flat, pileless woven textile made across Iran by interlocking or slit-weaving coloured weft threads over a warp, used as floor covering, storage bag, saddle cover and tent divider depending on region. Jajim: A narrow-strip flatwoven textile, usually made in warp-faced bands on a portable loom and then sewn together into a wider cloth, traditionally used as bedding cover, floor spread or door hanging by village and pastoral households.

Side by side

Kilim (Gelim)Jajim
Persian nameگلیمجاجیم
CategoryTextiles · FlatweaveTextiles · Flatweave
Materialswool, cottonwool, cotton
Techniquesflatweave-weavingwarp-faced-weaving, supplementary-weft-brocade
Regionsshiraz, kerman, sistan-baluchestan, yazdtabriz, isfahan
Periodsqajar, pahlavi, contemporaryqajar, pahlavi, contemporary
Motifsgereh-geometricgereh-geometric
Current vitalityLiving traditionAt risk

What they share

  • Materials: wool, cotton
  • Motifs: gereh-geometric
  • Periods: qajar, pahlavi, contemporary

How to tell them apart

  • Kilim (Gelim) typically involves flatweave-weaving.
  • Jajim typically involves warp-faced-weaving, supplementary-weft-brocade.
  • The stated place of making is a useful clue, but never proof on its own.

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Disclaimer

This comparison is educational and built from entries still under review. It cannot confirm what a particular object is.