Lovespoons Wales

Way back in the mists of time, when most people were illiterate, giving a love letter to that special person was not an option, hence the lovespoon was born.  Lovespoons have been carved in Wales since at least the 1600’s, with the oldest known lovespoon on display in St. Fagin’s Museum of Welsh Life near Cardiff. 

However, this lovespoon is quite an elaborate design, so most likely, lovespoons had already been carved for awhile and this spoon is a result of the craft evolving.

 As Cawl ( a Welsh Broth) was a principal part of the Welsh diet, it is believed that the lovespoon is an extension of the Cawl spoon.

With the carving getting more and more elaborate, it could be that the man was not only carving a love letter for the girl who had caught his eye, but also, to impress the girl’s father, and show how good he was with his hands, vital in the then rural Wales.

Accepting the lovespoon did not mean the girl had accepted the carver’s desire for courtship to begin, neither was it an early form of engagement ring.  In fact, the popular village girls were known to amass several lovespoons for their collection.