Square teapot with four flat feet at the corners, the upright sides slightly accolade-shaped and indented at the corners, flat shoulder, rectangular low mouthrim. Lobed, low-domed lid with pointed knob. S-shaped spout and C-shaped handle. Famille verte, decorated in various shades of green, yellow, aubergine, iron-red and black enamel on the glaze. On each of the four sides a landscape with two horses. On the shoulder flower and foliate scrolls and small panels with auspicious symbols. On the mouthrim and rim of the lid a spiral band. The base is unglazed. This fine teapot conforms to the vogue of drinking tea among the well to do in Europe. The newly fashionable drink from China naturally required suitable porcelain teasets. Traditional Chinese teapots in all shapes and sizes were sent to Europe without any alteration. The horses represent the ‘Eight Horses’ of King Mu Wang, who let his horses run free in a meadow after they had served him faithfully. This was so unusual that it was preserved in Chinese iconography and is nearly always represented by a depiction in which one of the horses is rolling on its back for joy; that image is missing from this teapot, however.