An ochre-glazed brushpot, Wang Bingrong zuo seal mark (Made by Wang Bingrong), 19th century. Photo courtesy Bonhams

The cylindrical brushpot finely applied with a continuous scene of a horse nuzzling its mate bending its head down to crop the grass, all within a rocky landscape of wutong trees and willow beside a low bridge over a stream, all covered with a soft ochre glaze. 13.6cm (5 3/8in) high. Sold for £10,000 (€11,972) 

Provenance: an English private collection

Compare a similar ochre-glazed 'twin horses' brushpot, Wang Bingrong zuo, dated to the Tongzhi period, illustrated by T.Miller and H.Hui in Elegance in Relief: Carved Porcelain from Jingdezhen of the 19th to Early 20th centuries, Hong Kong, 2006, pl.11; see also two other brushpots covered in different glazes, bearing the same seal mark, dated from the Daoguang period to the Guangxu period, with related horse carvings, illustrated ibid., pls.12 and 14. The authors note that sometimes referred to as shuiyang ma, the tranquil image of two horses beneath a willow tree, as in the present lot, represents the innocent vitality of youth.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street. 7 Nov 2013