Chinese Antique Block with Horse Carvings

One of 2 blocks each containing carvings of 4 horses which formed the base of the entrance door (either side) of a very prominent teahouse located in the city of Ningbo Zhejiang Province. The teahouse was erected approximately 250 years ago during the early Qing dynasty and was a proment meeting place for the city aristocracy and bureaucrats. There is significane in the 8 horses since in Chinese culture the horse is the symbol of success and "8" is a lucky number. The tea house was deminolised in 2001 to make way for redevelopmnt of the city.