Wool

The khurjin is one of the most practical objects rural Afghanistan has produced — a double-pocketed wool saddlebag, woven flat on the ground and then folded and stitched into shape. It travels to the field, the market, the mill, and back, draped across the back of a horse or donkey — and increasingly, hanging from a bicycle or motorcycle too.

Namad (نمد) is one of Afghanistan’s oldest crafts. Unlike a carpet or a buria, it needs no loom, no shuttle, and no knots. Raw wool, hot water, and sustained pressure are all it takes — and several hours of collective effort from the women of a village.