For centuries, equestrian clay ridge tiles, typically in the shape of a horse and rider like this one, right, were a popular addition to the roofs of English and Northern European houses.
The practice declined in the early 19th century but a century later in St Ives the potter Bernard Leach (1887-1979) and members of the Old Cornwall Society decided to reintroduce the tradition. This 16in (41cm) model of a tired horseman, estimated at £8000-12,000 at WH Lane & Son on September 28 in Penzance, was made by Leach in 1931.