This lovingly-created needlework sampler from 1939 by Margery Coupe (b. 1910) celebrates the marriage of her younger brother Derek Coupe and Kathleen Lucas. Both hailed from Bucklow in Cheshire.

Is there any better medium to communicate the connection between two kindred spirits than through deftly composed needlework? It would’ve taken Margery months to produce this, perhaps panicking as the day approached, finding time to add the finishing touches before the big day itself. The colours are a wonder, as the majestically composed flora create a central interplay of mythical proportions. A figure, perhaps Derek, stands in the distance, lost behind towering plants to symbolise an all-encompassing love.

It’s a fairy tale, a new-age Garden of Eden - but without the serpent. Just a radiant Peacock butterfly, a tiny brickwork bridge, and Derek in pyjamas.

Signed in the lower right and held within its original frame. Glazed.

Medium: Needlework
Overall size: 26” x 32” / 66cm x 81cm
Year of creation: 1939
Labels & Inscriptions: Derek Coupe and Kathleen May Lucas. Married December 23, 1939. “My true love hath my heart”.
Condition: Present well. Areas of slight age-related discolouration. Frame with some light wear.