Lovespoons have long been a traditional romantic gift in Wales, dating back to the seventeenth century. A young man would spend many hours carving a spoon for his sweetheart. He would decorate it with symbols of love, all of which have different meanings.
Sailors would often carve love spoons during their long journeys, which is why anchors would often be incorporated. The lucky girl’s father would then inspect the spoon to judge whether or not the suitor was a skilled craftsman and capable of providing for the family.
Over generations, the decorative carvings on the spoon became more intricate and it lost its original practical use; Instead, it became a treasured item to be hung on the wall or dresser.
The earliest known dated love spoon from Wales is from 1667, although the tradition is believed to be even older. You can see the spoon at the St Fagans National History Museum near Cardiff.
The tradition still flourishes today. They make wonderful, traditional gifts for weddings, anniversaries, St.Dwynwen’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and many more! Women can also give the gift to their sweethearts – and the mother needs not to inspect their quality!
Symbols Of Love
Hearts – it is the universal symbol of love and is frequently seen on Welsh lovespoons. It is a sign of passion and strong emotion – signifying the carver’s depth of feeling for his beloved.
Twinned Hearts – it indicates the hope for mutual love between the sender and recipient.
Double bowls – lovespoons are carved with two or more bowls, possibly to indicate the union of the souls when joined together, or perhaps the number of children desired.
Keys and keyholes – it represents domestic contentment, perhaps representing security or, more romantically, the key to one’s heart.
Wheels – this represents a vow by the carver to work hard and to guide a loved one through life.
Chain links – generally indicate loyalty and faithfulness, though they can also symbolize a couple bound together in their love and loyalty.
Anchors – it represents security, steadfastness, home to stay, and the desire to settle down.
The simplest of tools, such as small pocket knives, were traditionally used to create the spoons, if possible, from a single piece of wood. Close-grain woods, such as sycamore, box, and fruitwoods were particularly popular.
Although the popularity of lovespoons has fluctuated over time, lovespoon carving has survived intact and continues thanks to a new breed of craftsmen determined to preserve the art.
The symbolism on the spoons has also changed in recent years, with the introduction of Celtic and national emblems, such as daffodils and dragons, a means of expressing Welsh identity. This contrasts with the previously romantic sentiment, such as hearts, diamonds, and wheel motifs.
Lovespoons continue to represent an expression of one’s thoughts and emotions and carvers remain who honor the folk origins, either by creating spoons on commission or as presents for their family and friends. Lovespoon carving is an ever-evolving craft and one which is sure to continue to delight and inspire for many generations to come.
Judging by the exquisite array of designs in the Museums collections, carvers have always felt free to decorate their lovespoons as they saw fit. Although each spoon is unique and often features initials or dates personal to the recipient, over time a series of symbols were employed to depict romantic thoughts and feelings.
Such symbolism can, of course, be interpreted in many ways, and we can only imagine the true emotions of the carver as he prepared the spoon. The young man would spend hours carving the lovespoon with his own hands, in the hope that the girl would accept it. If the girl accepted the spoon, she would demonstrate her interest in him and they would commence on a relationship, which is the origin of the word ‘spooning’.
Young men had a lot of time on their hands during the long winter evenings, and while some would turn to poetry or composing songs, others would carve all kinds of things such as kitchen utensils or toys for the children from spare pieces of wood.
It is easy to imagine a young man after a hard day’s work, in a period of no radio or television or cars, spending his leisure time during dark evenings carving a spoon for the girl he loved. Spoons could also suggest food on the table, and a cozy family life, which would impress on the girl his ability to care for her and a family.
If the young man succeeds in capturing the girl’s heart, then the spoon would be treasured and proudly displayed on one of the walls of their home, much as a wedding photographer would be today.
It is quite possible also, that a particularly popular girl would receive several spoons from would-be suitors; but it is unlikely that youth would spend too much time and effort if he did not think he had a realistic chance of winning the girl.
When a girl accepts the spoon, the young people would more than likely then embark on a relationship and be seen as a ‘couple’ by their community. Today, love spoons are requested from all over the world.
They are given as gifts for weddings, engagements, christenings, birthdays and anniversaries or as a love token and as a souvenir from Wales.
