Welsh lovespoons

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Young men traditionally made a lovespoon from a single piece of wood, as a love token for their sweethearts.

Although the exact origins of lovespoon-making in Wales are unclear, we know that such spoons would have been shaped with great care and devotion by their carvers. Lovespoons were given as a token of love and affection and each spoon was unique.

At St Fagans: National History Museum there is a large collection of lovespoons, including the earliest known surviving spoon, dated 1667. The spoons on display in the gallery Oriel 1 show a range of designs, such as cages with balls inside, elaborate handles and spoons with several bowls.

A wide variety of symbols have been carved on lovespoons over the years. Symbols that appear frequently include hearts, commonly linked to love and courtship, diamonds, thought to signify wealth, wheels, to represent the wheel of life and keys to denote security. As lovespoons are traditionally crafted by hand from a single piece of wood, carvers need to be very skilful to produce such works of art.

These days, lovespoons are particularly popular as gifts, and are bought especially for occasions such as weddings.

Try your hand at designing your very own virtual lovespoon to send to a loved one.

Article Date: 4 December 2007