Pottery moulds were moulds made of pottery clay and used to make bronze ware in ancient times. The mould was a cavity mould for casting metal ware. It was made of sifted clay mixed with sand after high-temperature heating, with the quality close to that of pottery. Way back in the Spring and Autumn Period, there were pottery moulds for repeated use.

The bronze ware casting involving pottery moulds need to go through multiple processes like mould making, clay base making, drying the base in the shade, heating and casting etc. The processes were phased out in later ages for the time and effort consuming nature.

A large-sized bronze ware casting site was discovered in the ruins of the lower capital of the Yan State of the Spring and Autumn Period. Tens of thousands of pottery moulds of all shapes were excavated from the site. These moulds are the testament to the bronze-smelting technology of the Warring States Period.