Title: Pottery in Mend, Gonabad

Abstract: Gonabad has a history of pottery that refers back to at least three thousand years ago where it followed the same tradition as in other contemporary centers. Mend pottery became popular as an emerging phenomenon in the late eleventh Hijri century using different materials and decorations which was similar to pottery in Yazd and Shareza, Isfahan. It has somewhat been influenced over time by the environment. Predominant use of warm colors and cheerful traditional designs has made Mend pottery attractive to both the public and the artistic community. The paper aims to focus on Mend pottery regarding the following questions: 1- What are the materials and techniques of pottery in Mend? 2- How is the coloring and glazing in Mend pottery? And 3- How are the designs used in Mend pottery? Data is collected from images, reports, and interviews as well as library notes. In this regard the archaeological researches conducted, historical information summarized, and conclusions obtained from previous analyses have been used. The main body of the article concerns how to prepare clay materials, designs, and glazes. The most striking feature of Mend pottery relates to the decorative elements taken from nature. The elements can be categorized into four groups: human, animal, plant, and geometric which testify the rituals and beliefs of ancient Iranian origins of the images.