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Visit or return to main Crafts page
The Story of Lovespoons | Lovespoons Gallery
It is generally believed that the lovespoon originated in
Wales hundreds of years ago and the earliest example, from 1677, is kept at the
Museum of Welsh Life (also known as the Welsh National Folk Museum) at St.
Fagans in Cardiff. It is not known when the custom of making lovespoons started
and it is possible that many undated pieces could be even older than this
specimen.
At a time when most people could neither read nor write,
they used symbols. Wood furniture was made by hand and then carved with hearts,
flowers, animals, birds or shapes. Lovers would cut a heart into the bark of a
tree and put their initials inside. Most utensils were wood with spoons for
eating made from sycamore or birch as these do not absorb flavours, do not taint
the food and can withstand repeated washing and drying. The lovespoon developed
from the “cawl” (Welsh broth or soup) spoon which was curved and long-stemmed
with a hook at the top, and the bowl was big and deep.
At some point, the giving of spoons as a token to a beloved
was begun and the different symbols used came to represent many meanings. Young
men would carve a spoon and offer it to a girl they desired, who would perhaps
have been given tokens by several of her suitors. If she accepted his advances
they began courting and this could be how the expression “spooning” or “to
spoon” came about.
The practice of giving spoons as a gift on marriage can be
found in Celtic lands, Iceland, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Yugoslavia, and
ancient Britons carried one on the day of marriage. However, there is no
evidence that the Welsh lovespoon was given as a marriage spoon. Different
areas of Wales tended to have designs related to the area or their trade. For
example, men from coastal areas carved ships and fish such as salmon, while men
from inland would carve vines, flowers and wheat; however, specific patterns were
not confined to particular areas and many depicted geometric designs.
Sometimes inscriptions were written on paper which was then inserted under a glazed panel.
The more decorative spoons would be made of any available
wood and it is not unusual to find them made of yew, boxwood, oak, laburnum or
even thorn and fruit woods, including wild cherry, as well as lime, beech, elm,
rosewood, sweet chestnut, walnut, mahogany and sometimes olive wood. All
chosen for their colour, texture and grain. The practice of giving lovespoons was widespread during the 18th and 19th centuries. In more modern
times lovespoons have been bought as a souvenir and memento of a visit to Wales.
However, the tradition of giving them as a token of affection has seen a revival
and it is now possible to commission a lovespoon with your own choice of
carvings and motifs. They can be given as gifts for a christening,
wedding, engagement, birthday, anniversary, etc.
Some spoons are only a few inches long whereas others can
be as much as 3 feet in length but they are traditionally all made from a single
piece of wood (“spon” in old English). Usually the handle is highly decorated
with a single bowl although double bowls are popular and some are triple
bowled.
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SYMBOL |
MEANING |
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American eagle |
Symbol of USA |
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Anchor |
I desire to settle down or
Security or
Steadfastness or
Home to stay and the desire to settle down |
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Ball/s |
Number of children or
Number of years together |
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Balls in cage |
Two balls in a cage, two enclosed
together or
Love held safe or
Captured love or
Number of children desired or
Years together |
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Barley sugar twist |
Derived from the sailors carving |
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Beads |
Number of children desired |
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Bell/s |
A wedding – to ring out loud or
Marriage or
Anniversary or
Together in harmony |
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Bird/s |
Let’s go away together or
Lovebirds – bring in food as I will provide for you or
Lovebirds – peaceful and tranquil love or
Dove – Christian symbol of peace |
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Bowl – heart-shaped bowl |
Affection or
Full and bountiful life or
As heart/s |
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Bowl - Split bowl in a heart shape |
Two united in one love |
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Celtic designs |
From the old Celtic patterns
Twisted – never ending in love |
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Chain |
Together forever or
Loyalty, faithfulness or
A joining together or
A wish to be together forever |
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Chain links |
Captured love or
Number of children desired or
Years together or
Linking of lives or
Loyalty and faithfulness |
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Coal and sugar |
Placed on the spoon – domestic
happiness or
Coal for warmth and sugar for sweetness |
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Comma shapes |
Soul signs representing deep
affection |
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Cornucopia |
Horn of plenty |
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Cross |
God’s blessing or
Celtic Cross of Wales or
Faith or
Marriage or
Christening |
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Crossed keys |
Key to the heart or
Key to our home security |
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Daffodil/s |
Symbol of Wales or
Growing together or
Blossoming in love or
A gift of love or
Affection |
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Diamond/s |
Wealth of love or
Wealth promised or
Riches together or
Good fortune or
Prosperity |
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Double spoon |
Together as one in love or
The couple or
Togetherness or
The couple together forever |
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Dragon |
Strength or
Protection or
Symbol of Wales |
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Feather/s |
Three feathers of Wales – to give
service
Making a nest/home together as birds in a nest – warm and snug in love |
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Fish (Ichthys) |
Christian fish symbol |
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Flowers |
Growing together or
Gift of love or
Affection or
Gardening together or
Joy of nature or
Courtship or
Gentleness and growth |
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Foliage |
Growing and flourishing together |
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Fruit |
Fulfilment of love or wishes or
Fulfilment of children or
Hope for a long and fruitful life |
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Grapes |
Love grows |
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Hands |
Friendship |
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Harp |
Welsh harp – traditional Welsh
instrument or
Love of music or
Music of love |
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Heart/s |
Love, affection – love returned or
I love you or
My heart is yours or
True love or
Sharing a bountiful life or
Love me as I love you – happy together
Entwined hearts – reciprocal love
Fretted heart is absence of real affection or
Don’t break my heart |
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Horseshoe |
Lucky or
Good luck or
Happiness |
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House |
Holding key to heart or home |
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Initials |
Two interlocked as in love together
or
Given with love |
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Jacobean twist |
Togetherness |
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Key |
Home or
You hold the key to my heart or
My house is yours or
Security |
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Keyhole/s |
Key to our home or
My house is yours or
Security |
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Knot or Celtic Knot work |
Together forever or
Everlasting or
Eternal love
Celtic knot – A wish to be joined |
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Lanterns |
Light up our love or
I would like to see you |
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Leaves |
Growing love or
Love grows |
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Leaves – Oak leaves |
Strength of love or
Protective love |
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Leaves – Acanthus Leaf |
Love grows |
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Leaves – Vine |
Long and fruitful life |
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Leeks |
Symbol of Wales or growing in love |
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Links |
Hitched together or linked in love
or
We cannot be separated or
Number of children desired |
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Lock |
You are locked in my heart or
Locked together or
My house is unlocked for you or
Security or
I shall look after you or
Safekeeping |
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Mirrors |
Sometimes added as meaning
Seeing the reflection of my heart’s desire |
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Padlock |
Security |
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Ring |
Together forever |
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Scroll/s |
Dates or
Names of the loved one |
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Shackle |
Hitched together or
Joined together in love |
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Shamrock |
Symbol of Ireland |
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Shepherd’s crook |
Guidance through life |
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Shield/s |
Badges or
Places or
Safekeeping |
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Ship/s |
Wait for me or
Safe harbour or
Smooth passage through life |
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Ship's rudder |
Promise to lead or guide safely during life together |
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Ship’s wheel or wheel |
Guided through life or
Softly or
Wheel of life |
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Soul sign/s (commas) |
God is love or
Bless us or
Affection |
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Spade |
I will work for you or
Working together |
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Spectacles |
I see you only |
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Stork & Baby |
New baby |
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Tree of life |
A growing relationship or
Growth and fertility |
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Triple spoons |
The couple and hoped for family or
Family |
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Twisted stem |
Joining together of two people or
Two lives become one or
Togetherness |
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Vine |
Twists and grows stronger as it
grows – so does love or
Love grows or
Growing relationship |
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Wheel |
I will work for you or
Supporting a loved one or
Promise to guide the loved one through life or
Wheel of good fortune |
Visit or return to main Crafts page
The Story of Lovespoons | Lovespoons Gallery
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