Mashhad was an important holy city with a shrine built to commemorate Imam Reza, a descendent of the prophet Mohammed, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year. Under Shah Rukh it became a major Timurid capital. A pottery workshop must have been established there by the 1440s, as an unusual pot, perhaps a sprinkler or ewer, the decoration maybe the cannabis plant, is inscribed with the date AH848(AD1444/5) and a poetic verse incorporating the word 'Mashhad'. The pot, a "souvenir" bought by a pilgrim, is in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

Petrographic analysis (the study of the geological particles in the body) of this vessel and a dish in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, similar to the V&A dish, but painted with three asters having an inscription and dated AH878 (AD1473/4), provide confirmation of the types of wares produced in Mashhad. Dishes have a narrow footrim, and the distinctive rim border pattern. The designs are probably based on local luxury wares produced at Nishapur, rather than direct imitations of Chinese porcelain. The wares from this workshop are rare.