Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Welsh Lovespoons

Welsh lovespoons are hand made wooden spoons that are made from one piece of wood and designed and decorated according to the carver’s imagination.

Originally made by young men during the long winter nights or by young men on long sea voyages, they were carved to express that young man’s intentions towards a particular girl.

A lovespoon would be given to a girl as an indication that he wished to court her. A girl may have received lovespoons from several suitors and these would be displayed on the wall of her home.

The earliest surviving lovespoon dating from around 1667 is at the National Museum of Wales at St. Fagans near Cardiff but Welsh lovespoons are known to have been made by the menfolk of Wales before this date.

Today Welsh lovespoons may be given as they were originally, to declare a suitor’s intent, for Dydd Santes Dwynwen, the Welsh equivalent to Valentine’s Day celebrated on January 25th.

They are also given for to commemorate a Wedding Day, an Engagement, the birth of a child, a wedding anniversary, a birthday, or a Christening or Baptism.

It is a marvelous tradition that entails craftmanship, heritage, and the truest of emotions — love.