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Love Spoon - Heart in 2 colours
Sweetly elegant, this carved lovespoon makes a very romantic and unique gift.
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- Made from Limewood
- A centuries-old tradition
- Handmade in Wales
- A beautiful gift idea
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The centuries old Welsh custom of giving love spoons meant that a would-be suitor gave a spoon as an indication that he desired to court a particular girl.
The oldest surviving spoon, made in 1667, is in the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagan's Castle, Cardiff, although it is known that love spoons were made well before this date by the menfolk of Wales. Sailors and other young men would while away long Winter evenings making spoons for their loved ones.
Love spoons are symbolic and have several meanings. To begin with, they suggest a suitor can help the one he loves to food, for which they were originally designed. Later they became quite ornamental, with long handles and the means by which to hang them on a wall.
And the designs are symbolic too. For instance, a heart means 'my heart is yours', and spoons with cages and spheres indicate the number of children the suitor would like to have. Double spoons denote togetherness, and a key indicates the 'key to his heart'.
The spoons are made of limewood and are stained, waxed and polished. Today love spoons are given for many reasons and to celebrate occasions such as the marriage of a couple and the arrival of their first child, or to mark a wedding anniversary, a birthday, a christening or Valentines Day. They also make interesting favours for the guests at a wedding.
