Moj bafi is one of the arts and handicrafts of the people of western regions of Iran, and has a very long history. It has accompanied nomadic and villager people of years. Moj is a hand-woven textile with big geometric and cross patterns. The wraps and wefts yarn are produced from completely handspun wool. This textile is weaved by the traditional “Chahar Verdi” machinery and in colors such as blue, dark blue, yellow and red. Generally, two kinds of products are weaved in Moj workshops: 1. “Sajadeh” or prayer rugs, that is used as a floor cover when praying. The size of this prayer rugs are usually one hundred in one hundred and fifty centimeters. 2. Moj or wrapping for the bedding, that are weaved usually by the order of the clients. The Moj textile is weaved in two meters and the width, depending on the thickness of the yarn, vary from forty-five to seventy-five centimeters.
In the past, for many self-sufficient nomadic and village families of Bakhtaran, weaving these textiles for the beddings were one of the tasks of the members in their leisure time and has turned into a craft and home activity. The primitive material is wool that is always available in the animal husbandry society of Iran in this region and its machinery is very simple. The weaving process usually lasts whole year, mostly at the end of spring and beginning of winter. The more motifs a piece of Moj has, the more shuttles are used in the weaving process and that is a reason why it will take more time and energy. Generally, the weavers assess the quality of Moj textile and pattern based on the number of shuttles used for their production. During recent years when these fabrics have become more decorative than applicable, their sizes, forms, materials and patterns have altered. Some of the common patterns of Moj are “Kashkuli”, “Hozi”, “Chakhmaghi”, small patterns, simple, “She Hozi”, “Kabki”, “Gole Gole” (separated flowers) and many more. Each shuttle is used to weave one color of yarn which means more shuttles are used to make more complicated and elaborate designs that are more valuable.