The Love Spoon
Curt Carver
- Medium
ca. 2006
Carved wood spoon
“Love spoons played a part in courtship and marriage in Europe. They were an especially well-known part of Welsh culture. The suitor would carve a spoon for the girl he wished to court. The carvings represent his promises to her. I carved this spoon for my bride-to-be, and it is an original design based on tradition. I gave it to her the day before we were married. Symbols and shapes represent marriage ideals. The spoon itself represents nurturing the relationship. The three rings stand for key virtues of marriage—loyalty and allegiance, respect and honor, and kindness. The heart’s four sides show the many types and the depth of love. The end piece of the spoon is a ring, symbolic of eternity—that marriage can last forever.”