نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Mend Gonabad pottery is one of the most prominent centers of traditional pottery production in eastern Iran, whose decorative motifs reflect local workshop traditions, indigenous culture, and the accumulated experience of regional potters. Among these motifs, the fish motif occupies a distinctive position within the decorative repertoire of Mend pottery. Accordingly, the present study aims to analyze the formal, stylistic, and compositional characteristics of the fish motif and to identify the recurring design patterns employed in its execution in contemporary Mend Gonabad pottery.
This applied research adopts a descriptive–analytical methodology with a qualitative approach. Data were collected in 2025 through documentary research, field observation, photographic documentation, and semi-structured interviews. The study sought to answer two research questions: (1) What are the formal, stylistic, and compositional characteristics of the fish motif in contemporary Mend Gonabad pottery? and (2) Which visual components recur most frequently in the examined samples and can therefore be identified as common design patterns of the fish motif?
The statistical population consisted of 82 pottery products collected from 10 active pottery workshops and 14 pottery retail shops in Mend Gonabad. From this population, 15 pottery objects featuring the fish motif were purposively selected for formal analysis. The visual characteristics of the selected samples were examined based on criteria including form, drawing style, composition, motif placement, and the relationship between the fish motif and accompanying decorative elements.
The findings indicate that the fish motif in contemporary Mend Gonabad pottery exhibits a relatively consistent formal and stylistic structure. Its principal characteristics include an elongated body, profile representation, bifurcated tail, triangular or angular fins, body segmentation through parallel lines or hatching, and compositions arranged according to the geometry of the vessel in circular, horizontal, or radial layouts
کلیدواژهها English
