A superb William and Mary eight-day burl elm floral marquetry longcase clock by Henry Godfrey London, c. 1695-1700.The outstanding burl elm case is of the highest quality and decorated throughout in very attractive floral and leaf marquetry depicting abundant flower images, birds and green men, shown in shaped inlaid panels against the ebony ground with a glazed circular lenticle in an ebonised surround to the door. The sides have burr-elm panels framed in ebony line inlays. The trunk door has ebonised D-shaped mouldings, reflecting the ebonised mouldings and pillars on the hood and elsewhere. Similarly, the formerly rising hood is decorated with blind frets around the top and floral marquetry on the door. It is flanked by ebonised brass-capped plain columns, with viewing windows to the sides. The whole has an extremely warm patina.The Green Man is a legendary being primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of new growth that occurs every spring. The ...